Love At Seventeen
by Riri-chi
Summary: Romance is just a cliche thing filled with angst and heartache. At least that's what Rima Mashiro thinks of it. Yet everything slowly starts to change as Nagihiko Fujisaki teaches her the ways of romance. And it all starts with his book...
1. Lesson 1: Introduction

**A/N:** **Meh the title is kinda suckish but oh story is specifically set to evolve slowly. Its nice to review but please be mindful that I want advice and criticism.**

**._. I write in order to improve and entertain my readers with a story. Try to explain an actual review so I know how I can improve. I do not own anything. Everything belongs to its rightful owners. Oh and I want to thank Vidka for pointing out some other stuff in my other oneshot. So this is a fresh new start. Enjoy.**

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_~Love At Seventeen~_

The golden tresses of a petite girl waver as the wind soothingly blows it into a simple breeze. A smile was placed upon her face as she layed back against the hollow tree looking out to the horizon. Her eyes watched as the sky began to fill with different hues of orange and even a tint of pink.

She had just finished her classic novel that everyone seems to love and know about.

_Romeo and Juliet._

The novel that Shakespeare brought to life and won millions of hearts with its romance and heartbreak except for one. Indeed it was Rima Mashiro.

She never really thought of having a romance nowadays, for it was too cliche or it was too heartwarming. The thoughts that consume her mind are only filled with angst and heartbreak. "Exactly why do we love?" or "In the end, the pain supresses me and leaves me to die." are many of the numerous reasons.

So why did she think this way? Despite not having any experience, she could tell that romance is a difficult path to walk down. Of course, she chose not to walk down it for who knows what may happen. She just doesnt want to suffer and be like all the other girls with a broken heart.

Rima rose to her feet as her white sundress swayed from the sudden breeze. She grasped the book from the grass and looked around towards her surroundings. Many students, who were the same age as Rima, were mingling around with heavy textbooks or speaking with their fellow peers as they walked around the lake. Since it was getting dark, Rima presumed that it would be a good idea to leave as well.

"I can't believe this book has everything." exclaimed a tall brunette. She was holding a red novel while looking over at her short redhead friend.

"I know! Every word of it is true." responded her friend. Both of the girls' eyes were filled with amazement and even a dash of sparkles too.

This made Rima stop in her tracks and glance over towards the girls. Attentiveness and concern consumed the short blonde's mind as her eyes stopped at the book. How could one simple novel just swoop you up into an amazement? In order to find out, she kept her glance as the conversation carried on.

"Nagihiko-senpai understands what it is like to be in love." the same brunette explained. Yet how could he understand what love means?

"Of course, since he is the author." said the other girl.

Rima's eyes widened in shock. Her honey eyes pierced with emotion as she tried to transcript the idea that someone like him could write a story. She knew who Nagihiko was but they drifted apart after a few years. He went off to dance school while she went to study abroad in France. Its been about five years since then.

"Since when did Nagihiko become an expert on love?"she mumbled while putting one finger towards her chin. Maybe it's just her imagination? Maybe Nagihiko really isn't that keen on love and these girls were talking nonsense about romance.

Rima nodded and continued to walk down the grey path towards the large dormitories. A large number of dogwood trees surrounded the entire campus, it's almost as if it were a winter wonderland.

"Pathetic, how could one possibly thinking about romance at such an age?" she thought while walking at a faster pace. She _knew_ that she was at an appropriate age to fall in love, but why bother? How would you know if he would stay by your side forever? How would you know if he stopped loving you after promising he wouldn't? She may not be book smart but she does have some common sense.

Consumed with thoughts and other sources, Rima failed to notice a tall, lean figure coming straight towards her. Every step and every motion kept coming closer as the two kept inching towards each other. Finally, they both collided and sent many things flying into the air. To top it off, they both also landed on the hard pavement with a loud thud.

"Excuse me? Do you know how to pay attention?" sneered Rima as she was rubbing her arm in pain. She didnt even bother to look up at the figure.

"Like your one to say." they said as they rubbed the back of their head. They didn't even bother to glance up either.

After a few seconds of trying to ease down the pain, the two strangers decided to look up and see who the other was. Within an instant, their eyes clicked and connected. Her honey eyes dreamily staring into their eyes. Not until she broke the silence and the connection.

"Nagihiko?" she mumbled while quirking up an eyebrow. Her arms were crossed and she still sat on the floor.

"Yes, I am Nagihiko and you must be Rima." he chuckled. He was kneeling on the ground and just stared at her.

Was it fate? Is it truly the moment where they meet again and celebrate? Unfortunately, if your Rima and Nagihiko, the answer is no. This little "incident" just causes more tension and anger. At least for Rima it does. As for Nagihiko, he seems content and satisfied.

"Look, I don't care if your happy or not but I'm leaving." Rima said as she started to gather her stuff. Her hands moved towards her novel quickly but another object placed upon hers. To be more specific, someone's hand decided to sneak its way in.

"Rima, we just met again and now you want to leave?" he questioned her as she took a glance back up at him. Their hands were still connected and neither one bothered to move.

"Yes, my point exactly." she dangled her hand away and began to get up.

Once she got up, she turned around and tried to walk away. Yet something else seemed to have stopped her in her tracks.

"Please Rima, how about we go to a cafe and talk?" he smiled his "Nagihiko" smile while his hand was placed on her shoulder.

"You think that smile will work on me? It may work on Amu and the others but not me." she glared at him. A spark of blue lightning appeared between their eyes but slowly began to disappear.

"Please?" he pleaded.

"No." she said.

"Please."

"No."

"I'll pay and make sure you get back in time." he said with a wink.

Rima pondered on whether she should agree to this or not. It's not that she couldn't decide, it was mostly about her benefit. If she went with Nagihiko, then she would snag a free meal away. Yet if she didn't go, then he would pester her with questions and remarks. Obviously, that wasn't the ideal thing Rima wanted.

"Fine but this is not a date." she demanded while tapping her foot.

_~Love At Seventeen~_

Rima and Nagihiko arrived at a little, blue cafe outside of campus grounds. A huge sign with the words "Cafe Blues" were written on it. It was surrounded by many colorful lights and even had musical entertainment outside. Since it was nice out, they decided to eat outside and talk.

"Hello my name is Nina and I'll be your waitress, how may I help you?" said a girl with a high ponytail. She seemed nice and spunky but nobody really cared.

"I'll just have a hot chocolate and a strawberry cheesecake." said Rima as she rested her chin on her hand. The waitress then turned to Nagihiko and waited for his order.

"One green tea is fine." he said. She smiled and left with their orders.

Nagihiko reverted his gaze back to Rima and smiled. He put his elbows on the table and rested his chin on the tip of his hands. He never thought that he would be spending his evening with Rima but it will be good for now.

"So..." Rima mumbled. She gave him a good bored stare. Nagihiko seemed to notice that Rima wasn't the best person to please but he could still try. Even if it means trying everything in the world. He would do anything just to try to be her friend again because the connection they once had was long gone.

"I've heard that you've written a novel about romance." she said while looking down at the clear glass table. She seemed to be concentrated upon the table instead of Nagihiko himself.

"Yes I did and I'm sure it helps many people around the world." he said while still looking at her. He was just hoping that she would gaze into his eyes, even if it was just for a second. He wanted to reconnect with her but she wasn't showing any interest. All he wants right now is for her to know how sorry he is.

Nagihiko cleared his throat some as the silence continued. Its been about a few minutes now and Rima hasn't made any type of movement at all. This started to worry him a bit until she decided to look up.

"Romance is a cliche thing, why would you even bother to write about it?" she questioned him. Her eyes stared into his and he finally got what he wanted. His hazel eyes lingered into her honey eyes for a bit in silence. A few more seconds went by, then he let off a little chuckle and crossed his arms on the table.

"Wow Rima-chan, I believe romance is a powerful source that occurs in everyone's lives." he said.

A gust of wind blew by them and their hairs began to swirl. The waitress finally came back and carefully placed down their orders. Rima and Nagihiko both looked up at her and nodded in thanks. She then left which left them alone again.

"Why should you fall in love? It's nothing but heartaches and breakups." she said while taking a sip of her hot chocolate. Her eyes looked at Nagihiko who just smiled.

"Rima-chan, romance isn't always about heartaches and breakups. It's full of love and compassion sent from one person to another." he said.

"It's just a waste of time." she cornered back. How could he go and say that so easily? Rima felt empty on the inside because she wondered how he could talk about romance so easily. Had he ever fallen in love? Maybe that was it but something just didn't feel right about it. She clinched the side of her dress and just looked down.

"So tell me, have you ever been in love?" he said with a serious tone. It was a serious matter and Nagihiko knew that Rima would answer truthfully. When it comes down to something like this, they were both honest and nothing stopped them in their tracks to say it out loud.

Rima looked back up from her white dress and loosened the grip on her dress. She just blinked as he waited for her answer. She knew that she had to say something or else she would look like an idiot.

"No, but I am never gonna get myself into it." she slashed back. This caught Nagihiko by surprise because he wasn't expecting that answer. He thought that Rima had some experience and would say yes. He just never expected to hear a no.

"Why not?" he questioned.

"What's the point of going down the path of love?" she said.

"In order to find that one soulmate." he said back.

"Uh huh, you expect me to get hurt in the process? It's useless to do something when it's not worth it." she said as she grabbed her fork. She stuck it into the cheesecake and began to take small bites. She then turned her gaze to Nagihiko.

"So you'll never fall in love?" Nagihiko said.

"I already made my point." she said while taking another bite.

"Then how about I teach you the art of romance?" he said.

Her eyes widened for a second as Nagihiko took a sip of his tea. Just what is running through his head? Rima started coming up with many answers but the right one just wouldn't come up.

"No." she bluntly stated.

"Why not?" he said while giving her a disappointed look.

"I already told you that I'm not gonna waste my time on such useless crap like that." she said.

"Look Rima-chan, it's not like it will be a real romance." he gave her a look. Somewhere deep down inside Rima's heart, a struck of pain zapped its way in. She shook off the feeling and turned back to Nagihiko.

"I'll try but if I don't like it, then I have the right to back out." she said while giving him a questioning look. He smiled and then took the fork that was right next to him. Carefully, he swiped a piece of Rima's cheesecake and took a bite.

"Deal." he smirked a bit.

Rima tried to process what just happened and she looked at him. Her eyes tensed with anger and maybe even death. He just took a bite out of her cheesecake without her permission. In Rima's case, that is a violation of cheesecake privacy.

"Don't ever do that again." she glared.

"Oh, what? You mean this." he snatched in another piece and took a bite. From the corner of his eye, he saw the dark aura appearing from behind Rima. He couldn't help but chuckle on the inside. When it comes to messing around with Rima, it was alot of fun.

"Fujisaki." she grumbled.

"Mashiro." he smiled.

Rima stood up from her chair and gave him a look. He just sat there whistling a tune and acted like nothing ever happened. A bright idea came to Rima's mind and it was perfect. She took the strawberry and threw it at his forhead. It landed with a soft flop and the silence began. It was only the fight of their glares that made the noise.

"You did that on purpose." he said while picking up the strawberry.

"So did you." she said while staring down at the empty spaces of her cheesecake.

The pair both looked up and blinked. Rima gave off a light pout while Nagihiko just smiled. He loved it when she pouts or when they get into small fights over nothing. Rima, on the other hand, hated his guts but somehow had trust in him.

"You're annoying." she mumbled.

"You're stubborn." he replied back.

"Forget it. Anyways, what is your first lesson about romance?" she questioned.

"You should get to know the other person very well." he said.

She sighed and her shoulders relaxed as she breathed in some of the air. She wondered why they needed to do that. I mean they already knew each other, so what would be the point?

"We already know each other." she pointed out while taking another bite.

"Yes, but there are many things yet to be discovered." he smiled.

"So what? Do you expect us to start off with an introduction?" she murmured. He simply nodded and stole another piece of her cheesecake. In return, Rima just gave him another glare while he ate the piece happily.

"My name is Nagihiko Fujisaki and what is yours?" he asked with a slight smirk.

Rima just crossed her arms and gave him a look. She may be dumb at times but this was the most stupidest thing she has ever had to do in her life.

"Mm..my..name is Rima Mashiro." she whispered so low that Nagihiko couldnt hear. He cupped his hand over his ear and leaned closer.

"What, I couldn't hear you?" he questioned with a slight smile.

"You heard me." she grumbled.

They both just sat there and continued to stare at each other in silence. Many times there would always be silence, but that was normal.

"Fine Rima-chan, I will start with a better introduction." Nagihiko said. Rima just simply nodded.

"My name is Fujisaki Nagihiko but you can call me Nagihiko. I was born into a theatrical arts family and my whole fate was decided. Ever since my birth, I have become the heir of the Fujisaki family and its fortune. Unfortunately, it came with many obstacles I had to overcome. For instance, I had to learn how to be a girl and even dress as a girl. Now did I like it? No, personally I got to miss out on all the boy stuff growing up and I kind of regret it. Yet that doesn't mean I hate dancing at all since it's one of my passions." he explained.

Rima motioned him to continue and he gladly did.

"It was here in Seiyo that I met Amu while I was the queen of the guardians. I was actually the one to convince her to join and after some negotiations, she finally gave in and joined. I was still Nadeshiko then but a year later, I had to go to Europe in order to focus on dance. I got to see Amu one last time in my boy form and it was something I won't forget. To tell you the truth, I developed a crush on her for a while, but I then decided it was best if I watched over her and her love life." he stopped.

Nagihiko looked back up at Rima, who looked a tad bit disappointed and mad. Her eyes were filled with mixed emotions as they burned into his skin. He dismissed the action but it still took an effect on him.

"Why must you say that kind of thing?" she asked him while quinching her eyebrows together.

"What thing?" he said.

"The whole crush thing on Amu. You know I won't forgive you for saying that." she glared.

"Uh-huh, your just getting a little jealous." he winked at her. She turned red a bit but it wasn't a blush.

"Like I would get jealous." she said sarcastically and then took a huge bite of her cheesecake. She even made her little pout face as well.

Nagihiko started to laugh and this made Rima give him a questioning glare. Why in the world is he laughing for? Rima was pretty upset that he was laughing since there was nothing funny at the moment.

"What's so funny?" she demanded. Her fists were now on the table and she gave him a look.

"It's just that you look so weird when you pout." he said in between laughs. Rima didn't know if she should take that as a threat or a compliment. He quickly noticed that she was getting irritated and decided to make things a bit better.

"In a cute way, I mean." he smiled.

Rima rolled her eyes and blushed a little. It may had been a cheesy attempt at a compliment but it found a way to affect Rima.

"Okay, my turn." she said while looking back at him. His laughter also stopped and now everything became serious.

"My name is Mashiro Rima and I guess you can call me Rima. I grew up a good life for a while since everyday was fun. I was always with my family and trying to make them smile with funny faces. I was even told that I was cute and beautiful but that's something I liked being called. Until it happened-" she then cut off.

Rima looked down some at the edges of the table. She wasn't sure if she should continue since the matter was really personal. It pained her to even remember any details that happened. Yet Nagihiko told alot about himself and she didn't want to make him think she was a wimp. She wasn't going to lose to the likes of a violet haired boy.

"Rima, it's okay to tell me since I know." Nagihiko said while looking at her.

He got up from his seat and went towards Rima. This startled her a bit but she looked over at him. He bent down on one knee and looked into her eyes. His orange-brown eyes stared into her golden-yellow eyes and he tried telling her that it was okay. It was okay to let out all those harsh memories. It was ok to tell him how she felt and why she was hurting. All of this translated through their looks this whole time. A smile formed on his face as he sat back down in his seat and she nodded.

"I was kidnapped and taken away. Yet it seemed like fate was on my side or something because I was quickly found. I thought my parents would be happy for my return and safety. Yet all they did was argue and argue all night long. It kept continuing until I came to Seiyo. I met Amu also when I transferred there, but things weren't exactly on good terms. Eventually, Amu helped me out and that's when she became my friend. The fighting even slowed down but it wasn't enough. By the time graduation came, my parents decided it was best if they got a divorce. My dream of having a real family was long gone from now but everything seemed to patch up. I lived with my mom for a while until I came here to France to study abroad. Why at seventeen? Well, I guess all that studying I did made an impact." she finished.

Rima looked back up at Nagihiko and he had a smile filled with sympathy. Subconsiously, she smiled a little in return.

"Well this is somewhat of a great start but lets get some sleep." said Nagihiko.

"Yeah I agree too, but don't think I can't see your tricks." Rima said while giving him a glare. There goes the little happy moment of the entire time.

"Rima, I don't know what your talking about." he gave her a weird look while standing up. He was trying to act as if he were confused and lost. Yet really he knew what Rima was trying to do and it would not work.

"Some of your sweet talk may work but not always." she said while finishing her cheesecake.

"Have you ever thought that maybe I'm just being sincere and genuine?" he smiled while setting down the tip and payment. If Rima could, she would knock that smile off of his face in a second.

He extended out a hand and Rima tried to decide on whether to take it or not. She was too full on cheesecake and hot chocolate that the lazyness was now kicking in. So with one swift, she took his hand and he pulled her up. He then smiled at her and she tried to let go of his hand. His grip just wouldn't come off no matter what.

"Um Nagihiko..." she said while looking down at their hands.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Hands..." she glared.

He smirked a bit and just kept walking. Obviously, he was trying to avoid her statement and secretive glares that she was giving him.

It began to snow a tiny bit as white little flurries made their way down. The midnight sky was darkened but the stars shined so bright. It was the perfect way to end the night filled with honesty and remarks.

~_Love At Seventeen~_

Rima and Nagihiko continued to make their way towards the dormitories as time started to pass by. It was around eleven at night and their curfew was almost coming. They still walked hand in hand together but they were silent most of the time. It was the awkwardness of their hand holding that made it this way. Yet their feelings could be felt with a simple touch.

They finally arrived towards two white buildings. They were each gravely incarved with details of swirls and architecture. One building was for the girls and the other building was for the boys. It seemed fair since the campus didn't want co-ed dorms. Nobody wants teenagers making babies late at night.

Nagihiko stopped in front of the girls' dorm and turned around. His grip on Rima's hand was still strong and he stared into her honey eyes.

"So, was everything okay tonight?" he asked. His breath could be seen since the snow was accumilating much harder now.

"I guess it was.." she mumbled while trying to keep a straight face. It was cold out and she didn't want Nagihiko to know that she was cold. The whole hands thing is enough, but anymore attention and she just may break.

"That's good then." he smiled. She rolled her eyes but then smiled a little. She had to admit that it was fun even if it was at night. Somebody like Nagihiko can make the mood feel different yet safe at the same time.

"Thank you..." she whispered while looking away. Her eyes were looking down at the ground which was covered in light snow. There was a little silence for a bit.

Then it happened.

Nagihiko smiled a sincere smile and leaned in. He slowly kissed Rima on the cheek before letting go of her hand. The warmness spreaded as the simple touch of his lips upon her skin made contact. She stood there feeling mad yet confused all at once.

"Why did you do that?" she asked as she put her hand towards her cheek. She even gave out a glare but it was only a small one.

"It's all part of romance...Rima." he chuckled. He then waved bye to her and started to take his leave towards the other building. She turned her head some and watched as his figure disappeared into the darkness. She then turned hear head back towards the air.

Rima just stood there trying to proccess everything out until she gave the air a glare.

"Idiot." she mumbled with a slight smile before entering her dorm. She knew this was only the beginning of Nagihiko's teachings. Yet maybe there might just be hope in romance after all?

~_Love At Seventeen~_

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**So go ahead and review. Should there be anything else next time? Grammar problems? Mistakes? Anything as long as you explain. Till next chapter.**


	2. Lesson 2: Thoughts

**A/N: Hello everyone! Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. :D Sorry for the late update, my left arm got twisted at school and I lost the feeling in it for a while. T.T So it was kinda hard to type for a while so I took a break, but now my arm is all better. :] But I lost the hearing in my right ear and it keeps fading in and out. My parents wont send me to the doctor... o.o Off topic. Anyways um maybe I was a bit harsh on the last chapter through my author note. xD I dont know but anyways er... hope you like this chapter. :D By the way each chapter comes with a lesson, so the number is just totally different. Just don't mind it, but each lesson comes from Nagihiko's book. :D Yup I make each lesson up which comes out to be an epic fail. Dx I do not own anything. Everything belongs to its rightful owners. :3 Enjoy. ;D**

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_Lesson #45:_

_Your thoughts_

_When your in love, its best if you voice your thoughts._

_Let your companion know how you feel._

_Build up courage on the inside and face your fear._

_Once its released, the pressure is off._

_All that tension inside of you is gone._

_Your thoughts._

_Its a way to show your trust towards the one you love._

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_~Love At Seventeen~_

Rima woke up to the bright light emitting from her tall window. It was the beginning of a brand new day, a fresh new start to everything. She rose her short, slender arms up in the air and let out a long yawn. It was only seven in the morning and classes began at nine.

She slipped off her silky, lavender sheets and rose to her feet. She inhaled the intoxicating smell of honeydew and green tea. This was particularly unusual since she never let green tea enter her dorm at all. Her eyes fluttered open and she observed her surroundings. The entire room was quiet and everything was in its own place. At least that was a good sign but what about the other room?

Slowly but steadily, Rima tiptoed towards her door while grabbing a baseball bat near her desk. It was only to be on the safe side, I mean it just might be a rapist for all we know. She was keen on being safe ever since her kidnapping incident at a young age.

"I hope this isn't a rapist..." she thought as she put her hand on the doorknob. The brass circular object was now trembling vibrations dued to Rima's hand shaking in fear. Who wouldn't be scared, even if it was just a little bit? So she bravely charged forward and opened the door. Yet much to her dismay, it was only the one thing that caused her life mayhem.

It was indeed the one and only Nagihiko. He may be a nice gentleman with long flowing hair but what was he doing here?

"What. The. Heck." said Rima as she dropped the baseball bat and gave Nagihiko her usual glare. She was wondering so many things at once that she couldn't even think straight. How in the world did he get in here? More importantly, why was he in the girls' dorm?

"Good morning Rima, you should really lock your door at night," he smiled while sitting on the red recliner. His legs were propped up and he had his hands behind his head. The way he was positioned made him look relax and comfortable.

"Nagihiko, it's not a good morning when you wake up to see a complete idiot trespassing in your dorm," she bluntly said. Her arms were now crossed and she was lightly tapping her foot against the cherry oak floor.

"Just get ready Rima so we can head off to class together," he said while cuddling up into a better position.

Rima was now seriously pissed off because of numerous reasons. Somehow it all came to a conclusion though.

A smart, trespassing, purple-headed, cuddling against recliner, sleeping Nagihiko had invaded her dorm and privacy.

She turned her back and started to head off towards her room. It was now a quarter pass seven and getting ready was a long process. Yet before she could enter, Nagihiko had called out her name. In return, she turned around and waited to hear what he had to say this time.

"Yes Nagihiko?" she questioned.

"I love your nightgown. It makes you look pretty." he chuckled. Rima's face turned a slight pink and she turned back around.

"Shut up." she grumbled and headed off to get ready for another excruciating day at this prestigious academy.

_~Love At Seventeen~_

Nagihiko and Rima were now walking side by side together towards the mathematics building. It was their first stop on their long day of school but they somehow manage to survive. If you consider the fact that people were staring at you everywhere you go, then it was acceptable.

'I wonder why people keep staring at us," thought Rima as they were heading up towards the second floor. Nagihiko was leading the way but Rima didn't mind.

They kept walking and Nagihiko approached the red double doors. He quickly opened one door and stepped to the side. Of course, he didn't let go of the door.

"After you milady," he said with a smile.

'What an act of cheesiness..' she thought while rolling her eyes. She walked pass him and entered the hallway.

It was a long, circular hallway with a checkered floor. It was surrounded by grey lockers and it had details embroidered upon the walls. The whole sight seemed plain yet it was marked with history and interest.

Each step that they took, they could hear the motion being heard. It was silent among them until Nagihiko brought up an idea.

"Rima, why don't you tell me what you are thinking of?" he questioned as they turned towards the right.

"Why? So you can be my number one stalker?" she gave a look. He simply chuckled and looked into her eyes.

"It's a part of romance or in this case, a rimance." he said.

"Rimance?" she stopped. Her eyebrow quirked up and he chuckled again. She slapped the side of his arm with her textbook.

"Okay, it's a way to express your trust into a relationship so that you'll be able to understand each other." he smiled while rubbing his arm. Even if the pain didn't really hurt at all, he wanted to show Rima that she was strong.

Rima looked up at him and stared into his eyes. She wasn't sure if she should say anything at all. Yet she wanted to learn what all this mess about romance was. So she clutched her fist and was ready to conquer this world of romance. For romance would never interfere nor mess up her life.

"Your acts of romance are far too cheesy," Rima smirked.

This caught Nagihiko off guard and it made him stop in wonder. Just how could she go and say that? He didn't want her to think that he was cheesy but instead he wants her to slowly fall for him. Even he wasn't sure where this whole thing may end at. Maybe she might not fall in love or maybe she might? He was, of course, pointing towards the might side.

"Oh really?" he questioned her. He gave a smirk back in response as well.

"Yes, I mean there is nothing special about opening doors or walking to classes together." she said.

"How so?" he asked.

"Everyone does it all the time, I think that mine should be different, special, and unique from the other girls." she responded.

A bright lightbulb popped up on top of Nagihiko's head and he smirked. It seemed that Rima was too focused on getting to class so this was his perfect chance. He laid his hand around her waist and bent down some. Then he swooped up her legs and began to walk. His smirk then turned into a smile filled with pleasure.

"What are the heck are you doing?" she demanded while trying to squirm out of his grasp. He just kept on holding tight but she wouldn't give in too easily.

"Nice language and isn't it obvious?" he smiled.

Rima gave him one long, cold stare before she wanted to jump to conclusions and say something.

"Yes it is because everyone will see you carrying me!" she exclaimed.

"You got it correct Rima," he smiled again.

"Now put me down," she growled.

"Mm.. I don't feel like it," he whistled. He kept on walking when Rima started to hit his chest.

"Na. gi. hi. ko." she emphasized.

"I don't hear anything," he mumbled with a smirk.

"This is so embarassing!" she yelled with frustration as she rested her hands on her stomach.

"Hey, at least it is different, special, and unique than what others do." he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes and a little pout formed on her face. She did have to admit that it was different because you don't usually see guys doing this. It felt special because she was in Nagihiko's arms and it was like she was his property. Finally, it felt unique because it was filled with different emotions of different types.

They finally arrived towards class and walked in. Many students were looking over their shoulders at them. Some were whispering while others were watching and pointing fingers. Yet did Nagihiko care? No, because he didn't need their opinions as long as it was only Rima's. As for Rima, she was kind of mad that people were staring at them so she gave them all glares. They backed off some and now she was content. So why didn't she jump off of Nagihiko's arms now?

~_Love at Seventeen~_

By the time classes were over, Rima was sitting behind the school fountains and just looked around. She was finally alone after a while and now she could think to herself.

_'This whole romance thing is getting way out of hand,'_ her thought paused, _'I don't even want to fall in love with Nagihiko._'

She wondered why he was even doing this for her. He could be wasting his time on some other lovesick girl but instead he decided to spend his with her. The questions just formed and many of them couldn't be answered because the time just wasn't right. So she just sat there watching the scenery.

The fountain was spewing out clear water while giving off a rainbow vibe. There was snow covered on the ground and the air let out a chilling breeze. It was the beginning of winter and it was only mid December. Many couples were walking around and this seemed to take notice towards Rima.

"What are you doing in a place like this?" asked a voice.

Rima turned around a bit startled to only see that it was Nagihiko. Just why was he here?

"I feel so lost..." she mumbled while looking up towards the clouds. The grey marshmallows were covering the sun and its brightness.

"How come?" he asked while sitting next to her. He had a hopeful smile on his face.

"Why can those girls have so much fun? How come I can't?" she whispered.

Nagihiko sweatdropped some and tensed a bit. It was kind of his fault since they really haven't done anything fun yet. Then a bright idea popped up into his head.

"Would you like to go have fun for the night?" he smiled.

Rima gave him a look and scooted down away from him. She seemed to have gotten the wrong idea and Nagihiko sweatdropped.

"Not like that Rima," he crossed his arms and then chuckled.

"Oh okay because there is no way I am losing my virginity to you." she smiled. Indeed, it was a pure Rima smile filled with laughter and teasing.

"One day you will Rima, one day you will." he patted her head with a wink and then grabbed her hand.

They started to walk off and enjoy the rest of their night, when Rima just had to blurt out something.

"NAGIHIKO!" she yelled so loudly that a flock of birds were sent flying away from a tree.

It was going to be a long night.

~_Love At Seventeen~_

"Why are we at McDonald's?" demanded Rima while they were in line.

"It will be fun so just wait," he said.

They were next in line and some unordinary freckled boy stood at the counter.

"May I take your order?" he wheezed.

"Two vanilla ice creams and one order of large fries," Nagihiko ordered.

Rima was speculating Naghiko as he took his wallet out. She wanted to know why they were getting ice creams when it's below freezing outside. Oh and she wanted to see how much green he had. No, not to steal but just to see if he was really rich like he said he was.

A brown wallet now stood in Nagihiko's hand and he opened it. Inside of it, there were many green dollar bills of different amounts. This shocked Rima and she turned the other way. Nagihiko didn't seem to notice and just paid.

"Here you go sir, enjoy." the kid wheezed. Nagihiko quickly grabbed the McDonald's bag and they left in a hurry. You can guess that these two Japanese kids didn't like wheezing kids at all. Do you think its a fact? The world may never know unless you're Japanese.

"That was close," exclaimed Nagihiko.

They stopped towards a cherry blossom tree and Rima noticed a little white ladder near by. Her eyes narrowed and she followed to where they led. Up and up, she finally stopped and saw a little tree house up in the tree.

"How in the world is there a tree house in the middle of campus?" she questioned.

"Oh just hush and follow," he said while climbing up the ladder. Rima followed as well.

Inside, there was a little red blanket and some daisies surrounding the place. Everything was covered by hallow tree bark and a little window was opened. It was small but it was big enough to fit two people inside.

"This is so small," she said as she sat down.

"Just like you," he commented while sitting next to her.

He put the red blanket over their laps and sat the food in between them. His position was really close to Rima and she took notice of it right away. She tried to scoot away but there was only little room in this tree house. So just to ignore him, she stared out at the little window.

The giant moon was out shimmering in the sky. Beside the moon, there were little white stars just sparkling and emitting light. It was truly a spectacular sight.

Rima sat there while being lost in the moon's light. She never thought that being this close with someone under the moonlight would be so...warm. Yet she never really expected to tell Nagihiko things because of their timeline together. It was at a rocky start but along the way, she grew to trust him. Maybe it was something that dealt with destiny? She had no idea but she wanted to know if Nagihiko knew.

"Hey, Nagihiko?" she mumbled.

He looked at her while trying to open up the bag. Her eyes peered into his and he knew that something was wrong. Something just didn't feel right. The mood could explain the whole feeling.

"What is it Rima?" he asked while handing her an ice cream cone.

He held his ice cream and took out the french fries as well.

"When can you tell someone something after trusting them for so long?" she asked while taking a lick of her vanilla haven.

This shocked Nagihiko some because this was rare to hear from Rima. He realized that "trust" was a keyword in their relationship. It wasn't a romantic relationship, he knew that. Their relationship in general is what he knew.

"It depends on your relationship with the other person." he simply put.

She looked at her ice cream some and then nodded. She seemed to be in deep thought but instantly looked back up.

"Oh okay, anyways why is there ice cream and french fries?" she asked with a weird look.

Nagihiko chuckled some and took a french fry. He held it up towards Rima to make sure that she was watching. Her eyes were glued onto his every movement. He placed the fry into the ice cream and dipped it in. A few seconds later, he took it out and showed the result. It was an ice cream covered french fry. Yet it wasn't completely covered.

"I really like it and I keep it as my own secret thing." he smiled.

He then handed the french fry to Rima. She carefully took it and with one motion, she placed it into her mouth.

It was like a whole new world open up to her. The creamy taste mixed in with the soft texture created a holy presense. Each bite of it made her want more. It was like the next best thing to pocky. She finally finished and had a small smile on her face.

"It is so..." she stopped.

"Was it good?" he asked.

The moment was tensing up as Nagihiko waited for Rima's answer.

"It was okay," she said while looking the other way.

"You know Rima, it's okay to tell me your thoughts." he said.

She looked up towards him and his eyes filled with hope and trust. His hazel eyes mesmerized into her honey eyes. Everytime she looked into his eyes, she would just get so lost. Something about him made her feel weird yet safe. I mean, he did just tell her one of his secrets. What more could he possibly bring to the table?

"I think that it was one of the most delicious things I ever ate...and-" she stopped once more.

He looked at her and she proceeded to continue.

"I think that you might not be that bad after all but if you tell anyone this, I swear I-" he interrupted her with a finger on her lips.

"That's all I needed to hear and you're not too bad yourself either," he smiled.

"I won't say this but I think Nagihiko is a truly kind person with different flaws," she turned away.

"You never heard this but I think Rima has a kind heart only some can truly see," he winked while she looked back.

She smiled a bit in return and they continued to eat their "secretive" food. It was another secret they shared and maybe many more will come into the distant future.

Rima slowly closed her eyes some and within a snap, she fell asleep. What she didn't know was that she fell asleep on Nagihiko's shoulder. Just by looking at her face, she seemed content and happy. Nagihiko slowly caressed her cheek and smiled. He then began to rub her hair some before placing his head upon her own. Their shoulders were pressed against each other and their breathing could be heard. Slowly, their hands tangled together and intertwined under the blanket.

"If only you knew..." Nagihiko whispered before hypnotizing into a deep slumber.

You can imagine it now, a boy and a girl shoulder to shoulder inside their little secret hideout. They were sleeping their little hearts out like never before. The moon shined while snow was plastered on the ground. Grasshoppers and frogs croaked and squealed but that didn't stop the pair from falling into a midnight's rest.

* * *

**I don't know if anyone does the whole french fry/ice cream thing but I do. Anyways this chapter was sweet. Reviews are nice of any type. :)**


	3. Lesson 3: Affection

**A/N: I updated so now that means a vampire can keep its shine. xD So I was really surprised. Before I had 6 reviews and now I have 17. Im like,"Wow... I didn't think 11 reviews would come in like that." Yet I am not really concerned about the amount of reviews I get. It isnt about popularity or status gaining, to me reviews are a way to improve. People give me advice and even encourage me, so that is what makes me want to write. I just want to thank every reviewer that has reviewed this story so far. Your words give me strength and make me happy. :D Anyways I do not own anything. Everything belongs to its rightful owners. **

* * *

_Lesson #55: Affections_

_Words may reach their heart_

_Yet showing affection to them physically can bring a whole new meaning to love._

_Be soft and warming._

_Do not rush._

_Create a pace that you both love._

* * *

~_Love At Seventeen~_

It was a bright, early afternoon and Rima was in her last class of the day. She was currently sitting in the auditorium along side her fellow classmates. It was a nice way to end the day if it weren't for Nagihiko.

Now your probably wondering why? Well as Rima's drama teacher speaks, a little sniffle and a sneeze will come out of Rima's system.

"Now class, today we will learn the ar-" the teacher, Mizuno-sensei, was rudely interrupted.

"Achoo!" bursted from Rima.

All of her classmates tried to focus but it just kept happening.

"As I was sayi-" she said.

"Achoo!" Rima blurted out.

"I wan-"

"Achoo!"

"To keep from-"

"ACHOO!"

"Class, toda-"

"ACHOO!"

"MASHIRO-SAN, GO OUTSIDE NOW AND DO NOT COME BACK IN!" Mizuno-sensei erupted.

Rima's classmates turned around and stared at a red-faced Rima. No, she wasn't red from embarassment or anything. It was the fact that she was terribly sick now.

She got up from her velvet seat and grabbed her backpack. Her eyes were fixated among the crowd that kept staring at her. This feeling was very disturbing and uncomfortable as well. You think she would get use to it but no, it happened almost everyday.

"What? You act like you haven't seen a sick person before." she glared.

Some of the students turned back around and others just stared at her. She rolled her eyes and proceeded to exit the auditorium.

'_Stupid Nagihiko...' _she thought as she walked down the narrow hallway.

Multiple sneezes and sniffles were heard, but she kept on walking. If it weren't for Nagihiko's little event from last night, then Rima wouldn't be sick right now. She felt so icky and stuffed on the inside. It felt like flames were heating up inside of her and that she was going to explode any moment.

"Ugh, I feel so..." she trailed off when she hit against the lockers.

Her face became very red like a cherry as sweatdrops ran simutaneously down her face. Exhaustion and pain ran through out her as she slightly bent down. Her eyes looked swell and pink while her body trembled amongst the lockers.

Everything that was in her sight became so blurry and within a snap, she passed out in the middle of the hallway.

~_Love At Seventeen~_

It felt illusional and deceptive as her eyes burst open, revealing her honey eyes. Everything around her felt so altered and it differentiated from her usual style.

She blinked a couple of times before gradually sitting up in her spot. Her hands felt around and she instantly figured out that she was in a bed. Although, it wasn't her bed. The simple yet silky sheet was a cerulean hue and this bed size was three times larger than hers.

Abundant amounts of thoughts began to run through her mind as she slowly released the covers from her. Exactly why was she here? What happened? Who in the world did this to her?

"Ah, I see you have awakened now." said a low voice.

Rima twirled around from her spot that she was standing in and came face to face with Nagihiko. He was dressed in a casual white shirt as well as dark blue basketball shorts. In his hand, he held a cup and a tiny towel.

"What in the world happened?" Rima demanded.

Nagihiko chuckled some and set down the cup at a nearby wooden desk. He then walked over towards her while holding the towel.

"You need to lay down if you're gonna stay awake." he said while resting one hand on his hip.

She ignored his words and kept standing there for a minute or two. Out of nowhere, the fatigue started to get to her and her frail body began to wobble. Nagihiko took notice to this like usual and paced towards her. He then caught her in his arms and embraced her in a caring way.

"Silly Rima-chan, that is why I said you needed to lay down." he whispered into her ear.

Her eyes widened some as she felt her face turn different shades of red. It was like a messed up coloring sheet. One red was for her sickness while the other red was for her blush. It was just so confusing yet akward too.

For about one minute, Nagihiko just stood there while holding onto Rima. His arms were securely locked around Rima. Her head was layed on his chest as she tried to ease down the pain of her body. His heartfelt warmth gave Rima goosebumps but it made the pain go down a bit.

Nagihiko carefully picked her up like a bride at her wedding and set her down on his bed. He then put the covers over her and layed the washcloth over her head.

Rima, on the other hand, was slightly disappointed that his warmth was gone. According to Rima, that slight would only be one percent out of one hundred. It would be useless to get even get your hopes up, for it will be a while till she considers falling in love with him.

"This is all your fault," she grumbled while he sat beside her.

Nagihiko sweatdropped some as he recalled the event from last night. He didn't know that they would fall asleep out in the cold. Nor did he figure that either of them would get sick. Of course, he had gotten sick earlier but he is intelligent enough to deal with it. Yet Rima is the opposite.

"I am sorry, Rima-chan," he pleaded.

She pouted some and crossed her arms. Then she turned away from his view and ignored him. A few coughs came out of her but the rest of the time she was pure silent.

Nagihiko sighed some and rubbed the back of his head. He then got up from his spot which alerted Rima. Ignoring her glares, he went back over to the wooden desk and examined the cup some.

'_How can I get her to smile again?'_ he wondered.

Thus, a new idea was born in the town called Nagihiko's brain.

He turned back around with a slight smile on his face and headed towards Rima in a polite manner. As he was walking, she quirked an eyebrow up and her right index finger was tapping her left arm. What is he up to this time?

"What would my queen like to request for today?" he bowed.

Rima just stared at him very boringly. What he was doing was very cliche and cheesy. She continued to stare at him while he tensed during his bow. Not until a bright idea popped up in Rima's brain. She could use him to get what she wants, it was like seeking revenge or something. It was truly a magnificent and entertaining idea but only if you're Rima.

"I would like a hot chocolate," she started.

He seemed to understand and turned around. Yet before he could get it, she began to speak again.

"Stop right there, Fujisaki Nagihiko," she demanded. He came to a halt and turned around.

"Yes?" he asked.

"It has to be from the made from the most nutricious, enriching chocolate in the whole world," she said.

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"And?"

"You asked me."

"So?"

"I am the queen, aren't I?"

He sighed in defeat and scrambled out of the room.

'_Good riddance, this girl is going to kill me.' _he thought while searching for the chocolate.

Meanwhile, Rima layed in bed with a goofy smirk upon her face. She felt pleased and powerful at the same time. Since Nagihiko made her sick, she shall make him suffer through all of this. Silly goose, haven't you ever heard of karma? Rima didn't know that karma had a special present made specifically for her.

_~Love At Seventeen~_

Nagihiko finally came back after fifteen minutes of searching and digging. In his hand was a freshly brewed hot chocolate and upon his face was a great smile. It felt like he won the Olympics or he won a spot in the NBA. Humor me, why don't you? Okay, maybe it felt more like he won the class spelling bee or he won a free coupon for books.

"Here you are, Rima-chan," he said while setting it down by the bedside table.

She gave him one good look in the eye as he closed his eyes and smiled. She then took the cup from the table and took a sample sip.

BOOM!

No, nothing exploded. It was the taste Rima got while testing it. It boomed like a bunch of firecrackers on the fourth of July. The taste just surrounded her mouth like a chocolate haven. The milky tenderness smeared all over and every tiny spot of her mouth recieved a small amount of it. It was like she died and was brought back to life again.

"So how is it?" he asked anxiously.

Rima set the cup down and stayed silent for a while. If she wanted to seek revenge, then she shouldn't tell him the truth in an exciting manner. Either way it wasn't how she would respond. It sounded more like Yaya or even Amu if you thought about it.

"It was decent," she stated.

Nagihiko's ochre eyes gleamed and he sat down next to her.

It had been a while since Rima was coughing and sneezing, that is when karma began to kick in.

Rima was taking another sip of her hot chocolate when it "accidently" stung her throat. Her cup fell on the floor and she began to cough simutaneously. The pain was building up since it was in her throat. It felt like flames were opening up and eating her alive.

Nagihiko was surprised and quickly ran to get his water bottle from his shelf off of his giant bookcase. He ran towards Rima as she kept coughing up a storm. He then undid the cap and gave the water bottle to Rima.

She took the water bottle and gulped down the water so fast. Nagihiko sat back down and patted her back some after she set the water down.

"You drank it too fast," he said.

"Shut up." she mumbled while some coughs came out.

"You should lay down some," he suggested.

Rima started to cough even more and the sneezing soon settled in. The pain in her throat was gone but it felt so dry. As she tried to lay down, Nagihiko got up and cleaned up the mess. There was shattered white glass everywhere along with a brown, chocolately puddle.

After cleaning up the mess, he sighed some. All of this seemed to stress him out but he needed to make sure that Rima would feel better. He felt like without her energy, she wouldn't be able to do the normal stuff she usually does.

Nagihiko looked over towards the direction where Rima was. She looked stiffed and uncomfortable. Plus her eyes weren't even closed yet. It looked like she was in deep thought.

He went over towards her and sat himself back down next to her. Originally, he was supposed to be doing his homework but Rima was way more important right now.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

She blinked and bit her lip some.

"Yeah, I just can't seem to sleep." she whispered.

He reached over and felt her forehead some. It was warm now and not like before; hot. This was a good sign but she was still sick. He felt so awful because it was his fault. Maybe some more affection instead of words could help?

"Isn't there suppose to be a lesson?" she whispered once more. It was hard to talk because of her dry throat.

"Yes, it is affection." he narrowed his eyes some.

His back was against the back board of his bed and her head was on a pillow. The covers were pulled over them and they were at least one foot away from each other.

"I am assuming that affection is meant by physical emotion?" Rima questioned in a low tone.

Nagihiko nodded his head in appoval and agreement.

She turned straight and looked up at the ceiling. It was made of cherry oak and it was tall. It felt so far away like it was ten feet away. A ceiling fan was attached to it and it spun while blowing down a gush of wind. Rima then turned her body towards her right where Nagihiko was. She fixated her eyes towards him.

He caressed her cheek some and a tiny smile appeared on her face. She was use to that type of movement. He had always caressed her cheek in the past so it was normal.

Their eyes slowly met and connected. His eyes narrowed and the feeling he gave out was very sweet yet strong. It was like he was telling her his feelings without words. You could say so much in an intense moment without words. Words may be part of a connection but physical contact is just as important.

A sudden gesture was made and he pulled her close to him, so close that their heartbeats were beating as one. She felt startled at first, not knowing that was gonna happened. Yet she stayed there for some unknown reason. Her impulsive side just suddenly kicked in and it happened. She didn't want it to happen. Truly, she didn't. Unfortunately it did.

Nagihiko slowly tightened his grip around her, slowly so that he wouldn't hurt her. He then looked down at her as she layed her tiny hands upon his chest. It was a wonderful feeling that he felt so he did it. Yes, he did it. He took the risk and made it happen.

He gently kissed her forehead before resting his face into her golden tresses. She was shocked, he knew she would be. Did it matter at all? No, it didn't.

She felt so soothed by his touch that she layed her head against his chest. The warmth from him was so compassionate and it filled her heart with solitude. It even tingled a bit but it made her smile. A smile of honesty and protection.

_~Love At Seventeen~_

Rima and Nagihiko were still holding each other in a tight embrace until nightfall came.

Rima was feeling a little better now and it was all thanks to Nagihiko. Who knew that the person who got you sick would be the person that made you feel better? It was like a one in a million shot that it would even happen.

The pair both knew that Rima couldn't stay in Nagihiko's dorm overnight. It was too risky and they each didn't want to get expelled. So the best thing Nagihiko could do was to take Rima back to her dorm. In a safe way, of course.

It was cold outside since winter had begun not to long ago, Rima didn't have a jacket. She didn't want to catch a cold but she didn't want to get in trouble either.

"Here," said Nagihiko.

He placed a black jacket over Rima's shoulders after getting up from their embrace. A teeny tiny blush appeared on her cheeks from his offer. She ignored it and they headed towards the door.

As they were walking towards the other side of the dorms, tiny snowflakes were falling down. Each snowflake would fall and fall before reaching its journey's end from the sky to the ground. It looked really peaceful.

Rima was walking beside Nagihiko and it was pure silent. Her hands were trembling because of the cold. She somehow seemed to bear with it.

A fearless touch made contact with her hand and she looked down. On top of her hand was Nagihiko's, he grasped onto it and kept walking. No words or comments were said but it was almost like he was talking through their touch.

She gave up because it was too cold outside. So she let him hold her hand for now. It definitely felt like the perfect picture moment.

They crossed over a wooden bridge and into the girls' dorms. They quietly walked towards Rima's door and stopped in front of it. Neither one let go of the other's hand.

"So..." he said.

"Yeah..." she said.

A time of akwardness kicked in.

"...u" she mumbled.

Nagihiko looked up and cupped his ear some. Signaling that he could not understand what she was saying.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"Thank..."

"Still can't hear you."

"THANK YOU!"

Each were taken back from the sudden remark. Nagihiko couldn't believe his eyes and neither could Rima. Never in his life did he expect to hear some type of praise from her. Rima thought the same way since she hated him so much.

He chuckled and took both of her hands into his. He kissed them while his eyes reverted up towards her eyes. She was in shock and pouted a little. It was just too cute when she was embarrassed. So to make his night end in a good way, he did it once more. Instead he kissed her forehead and then leaned his head onto hers.

"Good night, Rima-chan..." he whispered into her ear.

A burst of anger appeared on her face as he let go, he then smiled.

"How can I call it a good night when you kissed me three times! she exclaimed.

Nagihiko rolled his eyes and chuckled. He then waved bye to her as he walked back towards the bridge. His figure soon disappeared into the mystified shadows of the night.

'_Affections huh?' _she thought while turning around to face her door. Her hands were reaching for her pockets as she took out the keys to her dorm. She stopped for a moment and held Nagihiko's jacket close to her nose. Rima inhaled in a whisp of his scent and exhaled a sweet breath. Nobody was around, not even Nagihiko. So she felt safe that she did it.

_'They seem powerful and strong like words,'_ she finished thinking before heading inside and into a deep rest.

* * *

**O.O Er.. I didn't want to make him kiss her right away because that it saved for some future chapter. So I thought that kisses on the forehead or whatever would be fine. Poor Rima got attacked by Nagihiko kisses. Anyways, I will probably update some time this weekend. I do not know but I promise I will update soon. Reviews are nice. :)**


	4. Lesson 4: Surprises

_****_**Surprise! Um... yeah, you're wondering why this is back at chapter 4. Well, I really wanted to focus more upon the relationship of Rima and Nagihiko rather than bringing in the other characters so soon. Anyway, don't worry.. this is still the same chapter 4. But, the ending is different. I'm about to post chapter 5 in an hour so I won't leave you hanging. Welcome back?**

* * *

_Lesson #68: Surprises_

_If you want to spice up your relationship_

_Then go with a surprise._

_Something that is worth risking but you know will succeed in the end._

_But it's up to you on how you do that._

* * *

_~Love At Seventeen~_

It was the last day before winter vacation began. Many students were pleased upon the time of joy, they could finally get their rest and enjoy life for once. It lifted their spirits and many were smiling as they were counting down till their freedom came. Although there is always that one student who hates it all. Let's take Rima as an example. Every vacation she has ever had, it was always filled with torture and pain. Brought to you by her parents, of course. So she wasn't entirely fond on the whole idea or a vacation.

Rima walked towards her dorm after a long day of school. Her black, high-heeled boots clacked and clicked against the solid, cold ground as she walked over the bridge. She looked around her surroundings as she saw the endless amounts of leafless trees covered in snow, the water under the bridge was frozen, and the ground was covered in a couple of inches of snow. It indeed looked like winter.

She grabbed the collar of her white, leathery jacket as a gust of wind blew near her. It sent her golden locks everywhere but she didn't mind. She was almost home anyways and there she could rest all she wanted.

A pair of steps had approached her because she could hear the sounds vibrate against the hallow wood of the bridge. After coming to a stop, she turned her head slightly to her left. A couple of strands of purple caught her eye.

"Hello Rima-chan..." he said.

Rima turned around and saw Nagihiko standing there. He was at one end of the bridge while she was at the other. Her breath exhaled and inhaled as her breath could be shown in the air. He just stood there doing the same as they locked eyes for a minute or two.

Breaking the silence, Nagihiko took a few more steps forward before standing directly in front of Rima. His dark brown coat swayed a bit almost touching her own. She looked up at him and watched as he simply smiled at her. If only you could see the slight pink tint on her face.

"Hello Nagihiko," she mumbled.

Her body began to shiver more as the wind picked up some. She closed her eyes some while trying to snuggle her coat to her more. The shaking got worse as her hands shook some while holding her coat.

Nagihiko took notice and chuckled a little. He was cold but he was smart enough to put on extra layers of warmth. So to get out of the coldness faster, he took Rima's hand and headed towards her dorm. This caused Rima to lose grip of her coat and now she became even colder. Not to mention that the wind blew in her face as they paced faster.

They finally arrived towards her dorm and Rima took out her golden key from her pocket of her dark blue jeans. Looking up at the door, she inserted the key into the slot and twisted it some before a small click could be heard. The door opened and Rima put her key back in her pocket. She walked inside while Nagihiko just stood there. It would be impolite if he just barged in and he was a gentleman about that.

Turning around, Rima noticed Nagihiko's position. He just kept standing there outside the door. She wondered why but then shrugged it off.

"You can come in, you know." Rima said while unbuttoning her jacket and revealing her white turtleneck.

Nagihiko smiled a bit and proceeded to enter. Upon entering, he noticed the way her dorm was decorated. It was truly Rima's unique style even if he had already been here before. He just didn't have time to actually take notice.

Rima gave him a look and pointed towards the red recliner he once slept in while waiting for her to get ready. He chuckled at the thought and headed towards the living room. Nagihiko sat down and looked around.

In front of his view was a fairly sized flat screen television. On the sides of the television, there was two victorian-style statues that looked shiny and even sparkled a bit in your Nagihiko and the television was a clear glass coffee table with a burgundy carpet underneath. Beside the recliner was a long matching sofa. There was a couple of paintings up that consisted of cherry blossoms and bala-balance as well as pictures of her, her friends, and family. Finally, the walls were painted a chocolate brown. This was only the living room and the kitchen opened up towards it so you could see the entertainment happening.

"Do you want something to drink?" asked Rima as she took off her boots. Her silky hair covered her face as she looked down.

"I guess some green tea would be fine." he said.

Rima nodded while setting her shoes over towards its regular pace by the door. She then began to head towards the kitchen until something caught her wrist by surprise. She turned around and saw Nagihiko near her. His face was content right now and he had a smile on his face.

"Let me help as we talk about this important thing I need to tell you." he insisted.

Her eyes widened but gave off a little nod in approval. Just what was going on exactly?

~_Love At Seventeen~_

Rima took out a teapot as she filled it up with some water before putting it on the stove. She set it at its according temperature and then turned around. While wiping her wet hands on a towel, she looked at Nagihiko.

"So what did you want to tell me?" she asked.

Nagihiko leaned against the granite counter as he propped up one leg against the cabinet below. His arms leaned back and gripped the edge of the counter.

"Well I wanted to know several things actually." he started.

She looked over at him and gave him a look. He started to continue again.

"First off, I need to know the truth about how you feel about me and Amu-chan." he said seriously.

Rima looked down some as her caramel bangs covered her eyes. Her fists clutched to the sides of her jeans as she struggled to find the words. Stubbornly, she turned around and looked at the stove instead. There was no way she could answer to this.

"Why do you even want to know?" she stumbled out the words. Her back was still away from Nagihiko.

He sighed some and rubbed the side of his head. He then headed up a little towards her and stood behind her. It was an emotional subject to talk about and it was true. Sure it was uncomfortable but it must be talked about someday.

"I want to know the truth." he firmly said.

She nodded her head no some.

"I won't say." she said.

"Please?" he begged.

"No." she said back.

"Rima-chan.." he mumbled some.

"I-" she was then cut off because a pair of arms was now surrounding her.

Nagihiko had wrapped his arms behind Rima and just stood there. He breathed in her scent as it fumed his system. His raging hormones kicked in and he tried his best to fight back. Yet the hug was tightened as he squeezed, he just couldn't stop himself. All of his emotions were put into the hug as he tried to give Rima signals.

Rima's eyes widened as she realized what just happened. His hug startled her some and within a blink of an eye, she struggled to release from his grasp. He only kept on holding tighter but there was something different about it. It felt hard to break from but his hug felt so soft and alluring. She felt like he was trying to tell her something. Something that was filled with emotion and honesty?

"Nagihiko..." she mumbled.

He released her some as she turned around to face him. His arms were on both sides of her and he locked her in as if she were in a trap. Her body was pressed against his a little and their faces were milimeters apart. They just stood there looking into each other eyes.

Yet all romantic moments have their distractions. The kettle went off by making a whistling noise. It startled the both of them to death. Realizing their position, Nagihiko quickly pulled away and stepped backwards. Rima turned around to attend to the kettle as it kept blowing off steam.

She headed towards the upper cabinet and tried to reach for two cups. It was hard because of her short height. She hated how her size did this to her at times. As she kept struggling, she felt a hand slither its way up towards her. It grabbed the two cups before disappearing. Instantly, she felt the warmth from another being near her. Quickly, she moved out of the way and gave Nagihiko a glare.

"Don't try flirting with me in my own dorm." she glared. Her arms crossed against her chest while she looked at him.

"I can't help it if I have hormones, Rima-chan." he narrowed his eyes some.

A spark of blue lightning began to form between the two as they stood there. Both of their arms were crossed and they each looked at each other. The atmosphere heated some as their glares grew worse until Nagihiko had a change of heart. He sighed and began to pour the tea into each tea cup. Then he handed out one towards Rima while giving her a gentle smile.

"I'm sorry if that subject bothered you, please forgive me." he apologized.

Rima looked up at him as his eyes lowered a bit. His eyes were glistening with a feeling of solitude and understanding. She rolled her eyes and sighed a long breath. So she reached her hand out and took the cup from his hand. As she did that, their hands brushed against each other. A red tint came across both of their faces as they remembered their little event from earlier.

Dismissing their actions, they both headed towards the living room. Rima shut the light off in the kitchen and then placed herself over on the sofa beside Nagihiko.

"What are you doing for winter vacation?" asked Nagihiko as he took a sip of his tea.

Rima looked up at her tall ceiling and watched as the fan circled round and round. She rubbed the sides of her tea, trying to cool down her cup as the little smokes brewed into the air.

"I don't know, I really don't do anything special." she said.

"I see, do you want to even try anything?" he asked.

His eyes glanced over towards her as he watched her face saddened some. He was guessing that this subject was troubling too.

"To be honest, I always wanted one vacation where there was no pain or torture. I just wanted to have fun and show off different smiles as I have fun. I wanted the people around me to feel comfortable and forget about their worries for once. Yet no, I never get that." she lowered her head some.

Nagihiko's lips turned into a sorrowful frown as he watched one of the most important people to him sadden.

Rima looked up at Nagihiko and saw his facial expression. Her expression turned into one of her usual bored stares.

"Don't look at me like that, it feels all un-Nagihiko." she said while huffing out a sigh.

Bad move, Rima. Another surprise was about to hit her and she didn't expect anything to come towards her.

"Oh, so you say you know the real Nagihiko?" he said while moving his posture a little closer towards hers. She started to tense some as he smiled a simple smile.

"Yes, I do in fact." she kept moving away.

Nagihiko would move closer each time as she moved away. Everytime she moved a spot, he would only get closer.

"Na.." she moved one space. He only moved closer.

"Gi.." she said again while moving.

"Hi.." again she added.

"Ko.." she stopped only to notice that she was at the end of the couch and Nagihiko was near her. This was a surprise to her and she didn't expect this either. She was guessing that today was just going to be full of surprises.

"Yes Rima?" he smiled.

"What are you doing?" Rima asked.

"Why can't I get close to the most important girl in my life?" he asked while leaning towards her. Her eyes widened.

Nagihiko came closer towards her ear and then whispered something.

"Rima can't take a joke." he chuckled some.

Rima's eyes widened and she got really mad. So to take her anger out, she grabbed one of the cushions and began to hit him continuously. Yet he fell backwards and she was on top of him. His purple hair was sprawled out on the couch as she sat on his stomach. She just kept beating him like there was no tomorrow. Unconciously, this all happened.

"Ow..Ri-ow!" he tried to get her to stop but failed.

Rima started to giggle and just kept beating him. His pain was her gift of comedy.

She finally stopped after a while and looked down at him. He was rubbing his eyes some and then looked up at her. His face turned pink a bit and then she realized their position. Quickly, she jumped off of him and sat at the other end of the couch. He sat at the other. Silence just consumed the room as they tried to pass the event.

Nagihiko then broke the silence with his comment and made all surprises surprised.

"I want to spend my vacation time with you, will you let me?" he asked.

~_Love At Seventeen~_


	5. Lesson 5: Change

**Here's chapter 5! If you guys didn't catch what I said earlier, I redid the ending of chapter 4 so no more trip to Japan. I just wanted to focus more on Rima and Nagihiko's relationship rather than letting in more characters... so I hope you'll forgive me and continue to read~ I'll be updating more often so expect to see me around quite often~ :D Let's start!**

* * *

_Lesson #71: Change_

_Sometimes you might have not experienced something before_

_but when you're with someone else_

_You can experience more than just memories but emotions as well._

* * *

~_Love at Seventeen~_

The ultimate question of whether Rima wanted Nagihiko in her plans during her vacation had entered into her mind. Here they were, still in the same positions that they were in, on the couch. She tucked back a curl behind her ear and looked over at Nagihiko. She had nothing else to do but she didn't really want a crossdresser hanging around her on her break.

"Rima-chan?" Nagihiko broke her thoughts.

Rima got up and motioned for him to come closer. She stayed silent as he tilted his head at her. He got up and walked over towards her.

"On one condition," Rima whispered.

"What?" Nagihiko smiled.

"You cook dinner for me every night. I'm really tired of seeing my food all flattened." Rima looked away and pouted. She crossed her arms and waited for his answer.

All of the sudden, Rima felt herself being lifted from the ground and spun around. The air around her was going in circles and she felt herself becoming dizzy. She widened her eyes as Nagihiko continued to spin her.

"I can't believe you actually agreed, Rima-chan!" Nagihiko exclaimed.

However, he wasn't smiling for long.

Rima kicked him in the groin and he let go of her. She dropped to the ground and fixed herself up as Nagihiko tucked himself in pain.

"Rima-chan!" Nagihiko managed to say.

Rima snickered as she watched him. Never pick up a girl the size of an elf.

* * *

~_Love at Seventeen~_

The next day begun the official winter break for everyone in school. Rima was still sleeping in her bed as she snuggled deep into her covers. A few serene yet tweeting noises could be heard outside of her window and it carried on for a while. Irritated, she sat up in her bed and angrily looked over at the window. She sighed and got up as she slightly stomped over towards the window and opened it up.

A few birds were out on the tree limb as they continued to chirp and whistle happily. Rima, on the other hand, wasn't pleased. She glared at the birds.

"Do you mind? I have enough problems with a whistling crossdresser!" Rima yelled.

The birds stopped whistling and looked over towards Rima. She continued to glare at them before a voice interrupted the scene.

"Yelling at birds at 8 in the morning? Tsk, Rima-chan, you have weird hobbies." Nagihiko said.

Rima turned around and widened her eyes at Nagihiko. She sighed and glared up at him. How did he get inside of her dorm?

"How'd you even get inside?" Rima asked.

"You left the door unlocked... again." Nagihiko smiled.

Rima looked at Nagihiko and then the wall. She ignored Nagihiko and went back towards her bed to hide from him. She dug her way into her blankets and fell back asleep. Nagihiko chuckled and decided to make some breakfast for Rima. As he headed into the kitchen, he whipped up the basic breakfast contender, also known as Rima's favorite breakfast. It consisted of pancakes covered in low-fat butter and strawberry syrup with whip cream, two well-done strips of bacon, and a side of orange slices. To top it off, he poured her a glass of milk.

Meanwhile, Rima laid in bed as she continued to rest before smelling something delicious spreading itself into the air. Opening her eyes, she dragged herself out of bed and got dressed. She slipped on a white, long-sleeved silk dress with leggings and tied her hair into a bouncy, curly hair with her signature headband. Finally, she headed into her kitchen.

"I only said dinner, but I guess this is okay too." Rima said.

Nagihiko smiled and watched Rima eat as he brewed the tea by the counter. He leaned his body against the counter to cross his arms upon the surface and stared at Rima for a bit.

"I wanted to show you something today." Nagihiko said.

Rima finished eating her bacon and took a few bites of her pancake before responding to Nagihiko. The tea was done brewing so Nagihiko poured himself a cup and looked into Rima's eyes.

"What is it?" Rima asked.

"You'll see, but we better head out soon." Nagihiko said.

On the inside, Rima was really curious as to what he had planned.

"Tell me," Rima demanded.

Nagihiko smiled at her and took a napkin as he wiped off her cheeks that was covered in whip cream. Rima slightly blushed and looked down at her food. He chuckled and continued to sip his tea.

"Like I said, you'll see, Rima-chan." Nagihiko said.

And she took his word for it.

* * *

_~Love at Seventeen~_

Rima and Nagihiko were walking into the local town as they started to begin their day. Rima was carrying a white, frilled umbrella as the light snow came down. It was hard to maintain her curls into a good state and she didn't want it to be messed up because of a little snow. The wind shifted her dress as she walked beside Nagihiko, who was dressed in a casual red sweater and grey jeans with boots.

"I wanted to show you this, Rima-chan." Nagihiko raised his hand.

Rima looked to where his hand was pointing and she widened her eyes. In front of her was a grand, black piano that was placed in the middle of the square. She quirked an eyebrow up at Nagihiko as he grabbed her hand and walked her over to the piano. The pair sat down and Nagihiko carefully placed his fingers upon the piano. Gently, he played a soft melody.

"Where did you learn to play?" Rima asked.

Nagihiko switched to another set of notes before he answered. "As a young boy, I was taught the ways of being a girl. So my mother hired a personal tutor to teach me how to play the piano. She thought it'd make me more ladylike." Nagihiko closed his eyes and smiled as he continued to play.

"So you're not only a dancing crossdresser, but you're an instrumental crossdresser too." Rima said, while Nagihiko sweatdropped.

He stopped playing as Rima poked and pressed down on the C-note. Nagihiko chuckled and took his hands to put on top of Rima's hands. She pouted and he smiled.

"If you press the C, E, and G notes, then you create the C chord." Nagihiko said.

He pressed her fingers down on the notes and she smiled at the sound. Nagihiko smiled at Rima and stood up in his spot. He extended out his hand as the original piano player came back.

"Can I have this dance, milady?" Nagihiko winked.

Rima contemplated and gradually took his hand as he walked her into the middle of the square. They slowly danced as the snowflakes flew down from the sky. She leaned her head up to the sky and blinked. He twirled her gently and they continued to sway.

"I know that today is just a little simple but we have two weeks of vacation to enjoy it." Nagihiko said.

"It better be worth it." Rima looked up at him.

_I'll make it worth it..._ Nagihiko smiled down at the girl and they continued to dance in the wintery day.

* * *

Rima and Nagihiko returned back to Rima's house as they stepped inside. They only went on a short walk into town since it was a usual thing that Rima did each morning. Nagihiko brought in blankets from Rima's room as Rima settled onto the couch. She had fallen asleep and he smiled quietly down at her. _She's probably still tired from today._ He carefully placed the blanket on top of her and went into the kitchen to make himself and her a cup of hot cocoa.

Nagihiko stirred the cocoa powder and recollected his thoughts about his day so far. On the inside, he felt something changing. He felt as if these next few weeks were going to be fun and rememorable. As he finished making the cocoa, Nagihiko decided to wake Rima up gently so that her cocoa wouldn't go bad when it was done.

He just wanted to make Rima feel safe when he was around her, that's all he really wanted.

"Rima-chan..." Nagihiko shook her shoulder.

Rima grunted and shifted in the blankets. Her bun was coming a little loose and she looked rather angelic to him. He sweatdropped and tried again but this time, Rima kicked him in the knee.

_So she kicks in sleep.._ Nagihiko's eyes drooped and he poked her side. She squeaked and he chuckled as her eyes opened up.

"Rima-chan, I made you some cocoa." Nagihiko handed her the cocoa.

She sat up in her spot and took the cocoa into her hands. He sat next to Rima and sipped some of his cocoa. Rima brushed back her bangs and sipped her cocoa as well. The air was silence as the pair didn't say a word.

"You really know how to treat a girl. It's scary." Rima said.

"Thank you?" Nagihiko sweatdropped.

"Whatever," Rima mumbled.

"Heh, some of your hair is sticking up. You look like a scarecrow, Rima-chan." Nagihiko chuckled.

"How dare you! You look like an exotic dancer!" Rima glared.

"Eh? An exotic dancer? I do have nice legs after all," Nagihiko smiled.

"Usually people are suppose to take offense, not turn it into a compliment." Rima rolled her eyes.

Nagihiko ignored her words and tugged at her hand. He pulled her up and they walked over towards her fireplace. Since it was still winter, it was easy to catch a cold and get sick. Knowing Rima, Nagihiko knew that Rima wasn't capable of taking care of herself while she lived alone in a dorm.

"What are you doing? And why are you holding my hand?" Rima said.

"It's cold, I wanna cuddle by the fire." Nagihiko turned to look at her.

"Cuddle? I'm not cuddling with you." Rima crossed her arms with her cocoa.

"I'm just joking." Nagihiko chuckled.

He set his cocoa down as he got a couple of the untouched logs by the fireplace and set them into the fireplace. Rima made herself comfortable on the carpet with a blanket around her. After lighting a match, he set the logs on fire and a nice, hot fire started to brew. He nodded and smiled at his accomplishment while Rima rolled her eyes.

"Are you cold? Do you need anything else?" Nagihiko asked concernly.

"Anything?" Rima's aura stirred.

Unfaded by her aura, Nagihiko nodded. Rima smirked and tapped her chin. This was an advantage for and she wanted to make the best of it. She turned to him and with her sparkly eyes, she started naming off a list of things.

"A massage, more hot cocoa, tell me I'm your queen, and more blankets." Rima listed.

"Yes, my queen." Nagihiko smiled.

Rima looked at him doubtfully and couldn't believe her eyes. He was actually going along with this. _There has to be a catch..._ Rima eyed him as Nagihiko came back with more cocoa and blankets. He still had a smile upon his face, almost as if he were happy to be doing this.

"Okay, what's your motive?" Rima crossed her arms.

"Why nothing, my queen." Nagihiko simply smiled.

"Just stop, you're just like the other love fools." Rima sighed.

Nagihiko sat next to her as he covered himself with a blanket by the fireplace. He placed his hands on her shoulders and started to rub them. She stayed silent as his hands moved across her back, massaging and rubbing. Her shoulders relaxed and she closed her eyes. Rima had to admit that he was giving her a decent massage. It seemed like it was too good to be true. All of this seemed to be like that. She wasn't sure how long this would last and she didn't know she'd even make it this far. Falling in love was a big change for her and even just learning the basics of it before venturing off to find it on her own was hectic. She turned her head and looked behind her at Nagihiko.

"Um..." Rima begun.

"Yes, Rima-chan?" Nagihiko continued to rub her back.

"Do you think you'll ever fall in love?" Rima asked.

Nagihiko already knew on the inside what his answer was. He was already in love and the girl was right in front of him. He had been harboring these feelings for her since middle school and even after they drifted off in high school. He didn't want to let her know yet since it wasn't the right time so he thought it'd be right to just give her advice instead.

"Maybe, maybe not. But it'll happen eventually, Rima-chan. When love wants to enter your life, it'll come. Trust me." Nagihiko smiled.

He released her curls from its loose bun and they came cascading down as he finished his massage. Rima slowly turned to look at him and they stared at each other. She was still skeptical about him and this whole situation. What if he was holding another secret? He did lie to everyone about Nadeshiko. But today, he seemed to show her that he cared a lot. It was almost the same feeling she had when she was either with Amu or her parents when she was younger.

"I'm just nervous," Rima said.

"What do you mean, Rima-chan?" Nagihiko asked.

"I never really felt this way before except for when I'm with my parents or Amu. It feels different." Rima confessed.

"Oh, well I'm not trying to harm you, if that's what you think." Nagihiko said sincerely.

"Shut up, it's a good thing." Rima said.

"I guess it's just change," Nagihiko winked.

Rima started to sip her cocoa once again after glaring at Nagihiko but just to be sure that he was telling the truth, she spilled a bit of it upon her arm. She hissed in pain and Nagihiko quickly got up to get a small towel. He hurried over to her and took her hand. Nagihiko walked her to the sink and started to rinse off her arm.

"Rima-chan, are you okay?" Nagihiko asked worryingly.

She ignored the "pain" and smiled up at him. He really did care and that earned a bit of her trust. She giggled and Nagihiko had confused look upon his face as he wiped off her arm.

"I'm okay," Rima smiled.

* * *

_~Love at Seventeen~_

"I'm back, Mashiro-san. This time I'm worthy of being your love." Fuyuki said, stepping into the France airport.

Changes were being made, but this was only the beginning stages of it.


	6. Lesson 6: Confusion Part 1

**Here's chapter 6. A lot of people started putting this on alert. That's enough to make me smile, even if there was no reviews. It's a bit short but shortly things will start to open up in the next chapter, you'll see what I mean. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_Lesson #79: Confusion_

_You're asking yourself why love can be so confusing._

_Well, nobody said it was going to be perfect._

_Or is it?_

* * *

~_Love at Seventeen~_

Only you…

It was the middle of the night when a sudden thunderstorm erupted; Rima was lying awake in her bed as she stared up at the ceiling. She blinked as she felt nostalgia fill her body and memories begun to flood her mind. Whenever there was a thunderstorm when she was younger, she'd always lie awake and curl in fear because the lightning strikes symbolized her parents' constant yelling.

A creepy noise started to walk along the walls as Rima looked over at the door. She heard banging coming from outside and she slowly got out of bed. She gripped onto her baseball bat and headed into her living room.

The banging is coming from my front door. Rima looked out of her window and noticed a figure standing out. She wasn't stupid though. Stepping closer, she noticed that the door knob was starting to move and turn. Fear and curiosity ran through her veins as each step closer was a breaking heartbeat. However, she knew what she was going to do.

She unlocked the door.

The door swung open fast when the wind slammed it open. The figure stepped inside and Rima swung her bat towards it. She wasn't the best athlete but as long as she kept hitting, she'd eventually hit her target.

Grabbing her cell phone, she dialed the first number she saw. _Nagihiko…_ Rima looked around and realized how dark it was. She accidently tripped and her phone flew to the ground. The figure started to move again and she grabbed her bat once more and hit it. The figure had screeched and fallen flat to the ground. She quickly went to turn on her lights and when she came back, she widened her eyes. Out of all the people, she didn't expect to see this person here, especially in France.

"Kirishima-kun?" Rima said.

_~Love at Seventeen~_

_What the hell is he doing here?_ Rima was sitting by her couch as she tended to a passed out Fuyuki. He had on a black jacket, which easily mistook him as a robber. She sighed and brushed back her bangs before Fuyuki started to stir in his spot. He opened up his brown eyes and blinked.

"M-Mashiro-san?" Fuyuki blinked.

Rima nodded and he slowly sat up in his spot. He rubbed his head and looked over towards Rima. Fuyuki smiled and waved at her.

"You come all this way to scare me half to death and the first thing you do is smile! You're truly a fool." Rima scoffed.

Fuyuki's smile disappeared and he sighed. He looked down towards the ground before he started to speak.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't want to scare you, that wasn't my intention at all. I was actually here for a different reason." Fuyuki said.

"Do you even realize what time it is right now? You better explain this good in two minutes." Rima asked.

Fuyuki nodded and he stood up in his spot to walk over to her. He gripped her hands into his and looked into her eyes.

"I want you to give me another chance please. I travelled all this way to see you in person. I really missed you back in Japan. You're constantly always on my mind, even after you rejected me." Fuyuki confessed.

He had the most sincerest look in his eyes and Rima bit her lip. She knew he was a nice guy and he meant most of his words. She had always known this ever since she met him back in elementary school. However, this was all too sudden. It was coming back too quickly and she didn't know what to even feel at that moment. All she knew was that she felt confused on the inside. Her heartbeat quickened its pace and she saddened.

"It's just so sudden," Rima mumbled.

"I know and I-" Fuyuki was caught off by another voice.

"Rima-chan! You called me but never said anything-" Nagihiko yelled, but stopped when he saw the scene in front of him.

Rima turned around and saw Nagihiko standing in front of her opened door. He was soaking wet and panting but his eyes were filled with worry. However, his eyes widened when he found Fuyuki by her side.

"Fuyuki-kun?" Nagihiko astonishingly asked.

"Oh, Fujisaki-kun? I didn't know you were here." Fuyuki surprisingly said.

Nagihiko narrowed his eyes and noticed that Fuyuki's hands were intertwined with Rima's. He closed the door behind him and walked forward. A smile was plastered upon his face and he stood next to Rima.

"Why do you have your hands around Rima-chan's hands?" Nagihiko politely asked.

"No offense, Fujisaki-kun. However, this doesn't concern your business." Fuyuki said.

"I think it does since Rima-chan and I attend school here, not you." Nagihiko smiled.

"Well, Mashiro-san was about to accept my confession that I just made." Fuyuki tilted his head and smiled.

"Well, then. I don't believe you're on a first name basis with her yet. And she was the one who called me when a robber suddenly showed up." Nagihiko sparkled.

"I think of it more as a prince rescuing Rapunzel." Fuyuki smiled.

Rima couldn't believe her eyes and ears. These two boys were deciding what was best for her and the damn sparkling was occurring. She twitched and knew what she had to do. Kicking them in the shins, Rima watched as the boys fell to the floor. She glared at the both of them and was feeling proud on the inside; she was the taller person now.

"You come in at 3 AM and disturb my sleep, next I see you two sparkling more than the sun ever will in this lifetime. Get out." Rima growled.

"But Mashiro-san," Fuyuki rubbed his knee.

"Go sleep in the rain. I don't really care. Just come back in twelve hours!" Rima barked.

She pointed towards the door and showed them the exit. Fuyuki saddened and looked over at Nagihiko. To lessen the mood up, he helped Nagihiko up but Nagihiko declined. He swiftly got up and brushed off his outfit.

"I'll see you then, Rima-chan." Nagihiko winked.

"Have a nice rest, Mashiro-san." Fuyuki smiled.

Rima rolled her eyes and waved them away. After they finally left, Rima sighed in relief as she headed back to bed. However, things were back to before and she was still lonely and confused. Watching the rain fall from her window, she knew one thing and there that would never change.

Herself.

_~Love at Seventeen~_

It was twelve hours later and Rima was still lying in bed. She was actually awake hours ago but she was too bored to get out of bed. As she stared at the ceiling, she pondered about what happened earlier in the morning. Fuyuki was back and he confessed to her.

"I thought we were over this already," Rima scrunched her nose up.

However, she started to remember of the time he confessed. His heart was confused and he was taken advantage of by Lulu for her own purposes. Rima felt a strike of pain come across her and she sighed. It was also the same moment that Nagihiko had saved her from the flying hearts that were roaming. Two fated moments had happened that day and they both left an impact on her.

Rima shook her head and slowly got out of bed. She checked her phone and as usual there was a text that was waiting for her. Opening up her phone, she saw that the message was from Nagihiko.

"_Good morning, beautiful. ;)" -_ Nagihiko.

Rima rolled her eyes at his cheesiness and closed her phone. He always sent this to her before and after she went to bed. She really didn't see why most girls were obsessed with having their boyfriend do this for them every day. _Doesn't it get tiring?_ Rima shrugged and got dressed into a baby blue dress with white stockings and black Mary Jane's. She pushed her bangs back with a blue headband and bow as her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail.

As she headed out into her kitchen with her cell phone, she looked out the kitchen window and noticed that a little bit of snow was falling. Either way, she wanted to head out without any fiasco or surprising attack from Fuyuki or Nagihiko. As she grabbed her purse, jacket, and an orange to munch on later, she heard a knock at her door.

"Jeez, I wonder who that could be?" Rima sarcastically said.

She grunted and headed over towards the door. Opening it up, she wasn't surprised to see a smiling Nagihiko standing there. Rima glared at him and threw her purse at him. It was quite obvious that she wasn't going to get any more alone time but she didn't want to be caught by Fuyuki again. Nagihiko caught her purse and extended out his arms as Rima walked passed him. He closed her door and followed suit.

"Rima-chan, would you like to go to the park today?" Nagihiko asked.

"Isn't it cold and lonely there?" Rima turned to ask him.

"Yes, but it gives us a chance to do whatever we want there." Nagihiko tapped his chin.

"...Fine." Rima looked away.

He smiled down at the blonde and they crossed the bridge before continuing over towards the small park nearby. As they were walking, Rima noticed how Nagihiko was firmly holding her purse in his hand while his other hand was free. She looked down at her own hands and wondered if they would ever have a perfect fit like Cinderella's glass shoe did. Scanning her eyes upwards, she sighed and finally smiled when she saw the park up ahead. However, she suddenly tripped.

"Fujisaki..." Rima grinded her teeth.

Nagihiko smirked and said,"Last one there is a rotten egg!"

"First one there is a girly girl." Rima smiled.

He paused and turned around. Rima and Nagihiko stared at each other for a moment before bursting out into laughter. He bent down on one knee and held out a hand towards Rima. She slowly took his hand and pulled him down instead. Nagihiko hit the slippery surface and fell forward on his face. Rima couldn't help but burst out into more giggles before getting up on her own.

"That's pay back for pulling me down in the hole when we were younger." Rima stuck her tongue out.

"Rima-chan..." Nagihiko pouted slightly as he sat up.

She giggled and pulled him up. He dusted off his pants, which were a little wet from the melting snow. They continued to walk over towards the park and Rima smiled. She walked near the swings and made sure one of them was not wet before sitting down to swing. A slight chilly breeze filled the air and Rima hugged herself closer for warmth. Nagihiko took the swing next to her and proceeded to start a conversation.

"Nagihiko, can love be confusing?" Rima asked.

"Why the sudden question, Rima-chan?" Nagihiko asked.

"Answer the question!" Rima pouted.

Nagihiko sweatdropped and swung a little as he looked up to the gray, dull sky. He was wearing a tan long-sleeved shirt, green cargo pants, and brown boots. Rima stared at him and waited for his answer.

"I guess it can be because love isn't perfect. Or maybe it is to an extent? I don't really know." Nagihiko looked over towards Rima.

"And you're suppose to be some love guru." Rima looked away in sadness as she kept on swinging.

Nagihiko chuckled and leaned his swing forward and then to the left. He tapped her shoulder and she looked towards him to see his face close to hers. A slight blush appeared on her round cheeks as she stared into his eyes. On the inside she started to panic, but she never showed it on the outside though. However, she ended up slapping Nagihiko across the face in return.

"Rima-chan, why did you do that?" Nagihiko stood up in response; she looked away and ignored his words.

"I see you got rejected Fujisaki-kun?" a voice said.

Rima and Nagihiko turned towards the voice and saw Fuyuki standing there with his hands in his pockets, smiling. He walked closer towards the pair and stood in front of Rima. He smiled down at her and she stared into his brown eyes.

"Shall we continue our conversation from earlier?" Fuyuki inquired.

"Are you stalking me now?" Rima nonchalantly asked.

He widened his eyes and blushed.

"No, I was actually taking a walk around the area to become familiar with it. I just happened to see you two over here so I thought I'd stop by." Fuyuki said.

"I don't think Rima-chan wants to deal with this right now." Nagihiko stood in front of her.

"And I don't think you are one to decide what Mashiro-san wants." Fuyuki stepped closer.

Rima sighed. She didn't want to deal with any of this right now. Love was just something that needed to slowly happen for her. She wasn't adjusted to these changes at all. Looking back and forth towards Fuyuki and Nagihiko, she realized that she was going to panic in front of them. Her hands shook a little but she stopped them and got up. Not being able to handle the heat, she ran away from the park.

As she ran away, she felt the wind hit her cheeks and her ponytail come loose. Her curls descended down and flew within the wind, but she didn't care. Even if all of this was just beginning, she didn't want to face it because she was scared and confused. And all she could hope was that they heard her words very carefully before she ditched them.

"Who are you to decide what I want?" she had yelled previously.

-_to be continued-_


	7. Lesson 7: Confusion Part 2

_Lesson 81: Metamorphosis_

_At a certain stage in love, things gradually evolve._

_So how will you evolve?_

_Can you handle the pressure?_

* * *

_~Love at Seventeen~_

As she continued to run, her heart was pounding in her ears. She didn't want to start her day off like this at all. The feeling of being lost ran through her veins and she wasn't sure what to believe in. Could she be able to believe in their words and feelings? Or was it all just lies sugarcoated with sweet words?

Rima stopped in the middle of the bridge and stared out at the cold water. Chunks of ice floated down while she watched it go away. The wind shifted her curls into a swift as she crossed her arms on top of the surface and remained calm.

Ever since her parents' divorce back when she was little, she had put up a wall that wouldn't let love mend at all. It made her feel as if she would suffer the same fate as her parents. It was something that she didn't want to experience again. After all, it was half of her life that she didn't want to repeat. Love was complicated for Rima and it wasn't something that would change in an instant for her.

"_Who cares what they say? You should just be you! Isn't that being safe in your own way_?" Rima remembered Amu's words from 8th grade.

During that time, Rima was still trying to cope from her parents' divorce because her parents were giving her a choice on who to live with. Although her mother got custody of her, Rima was still a growing girl and had a choice too. However, she didn't want to have to choose between both of her parents and that's what made everything difficult.

"Mashiro-san?" a voice said.

Rima turned around to see Fuyuki standing there and then turned back towards the water. Frankly, she didn't want to see him or Nagihiko at the moment. A hand was placed upon her shoulder and she turned slightly to see that he was going no where.

"What do you want, Kirishima-kun?" Rima asked, avoiding his eyes.

"I wanted to come apologize for my actions recently. I didn't mean for all of this to happen." Fuyuki sincerely said.

"Apologizing won't change what's occurred." Rima said.

"I know, but I understand where you're coming from though." Fuyuki said.

Quirking an eyebrow, Rima turned around to face Fuyuki. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head before looking into her eyes. She tilted her head at him and he proceeded on.

"Before I left here, Hinamori-san told me about your parents' divorce and what you were going through. I know it may be difficult, but I'm here for you.' Fuyuki said.

Rima huffed and turned away.

"So what are you going to do now? Pity me? Are you going to be just like everyone else, only because you think you know what I've been through? Well, congratulations, you found out more about me." Rima glared at him.

"No, Mashiro-san. That's not what I meant!" Fuyuki said.

"Then what is it, Kirishima-kun? Is loving me going to change things? Do you think I'll just drop everything from the past and let you take me away?" Rima questioned as she crossed her arms.

As gentle and firm as he could, he swiftly held her in his arms and hugged her. Not saying a word at all, he was contented in her scent. Rima struggled a bit but couldn't escape from his grip at all. He sighed and finally said the truth to her.

"It's because my parents divorced while I was in middle school too. That's why I can understand how you feel." Fuyuki mumbled into her ear.

Rima stopped and looked up at him. Was he the first person to actually understand what she was going through? He looked away with a pained look and sighed. Letting her go gently, Rima stepped back a few inches and observed him.

"I didn't know that," Rima whispered.

"I wasn't trying to get on your bad side. Not once." Fuyuki looked into her eyes earnestly.

The two remained quiet as they stared into each other's eyes. Fuyuki decided to continue the conversation and walked closer.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Fuyuki said.

He walked towards the railing and leaned against it. Looking up into the sky, he inhaled a fresh breath of air. Rima continued to stand in her spot and gripped her hands closed.

"It does…" Rima managed to mumble.

"But I promise you that things will get better. You will get a family." Fuyuki turned around and smiled at her.

'I don't believe that," Rima looked down.

Fuyuki walked closer and he knew what he had to do, friend or not. He hugged her closely again and closed his eyes.

"You can let it out if you want. I bet you've been holding back this whole time, pretending to be strong. I understand perfectly, Mashiro-san." Fuyuki whispered.

For the first time in her life, she was with someone that actually experienced what she went through; someone who understood her. Rima closed her eyes silently and sobbed as the tears returned. Fuyuki held her closer to him and he tried not to cry either because hearing the one he loves weep like this had broken his heart.

_"I'm here for you…'_

_~Love at Seventeen~_

Nagihiko felt the pain on his cheek still sting as he walked back to Rima's dorm. Knowing her, she probably ran back to her room to curl up into a little ball. He sighed and looked up to the sky. These emotions that he's had since middle school were taunting him and breaking him apart on the inside.

"Rima-chan, why are you so stubborn?" Nagihiko glared.

I hope you're okay though… Nagihiko continued to walk closer before he stopped at the bridge. His eyes caught a sight he didn't want to see. On the other side of the bridge, he watched as Rima and Fuyuki hugged each other. He felt a familiar feeling tingling in his system again.

This was his second chance at love. He didn't want to lose this chance because he had already lost at love once. His first "love" or so he thought was Amu. Nagihiko knew he wasn't worthy of her when she proclaimed her feelings for both Tadase and Ikuto. He felt like he was beaten to death on the inside when that event occurred. Looking at the scene in front of him now, he didn't want to feel this way at all.

He walked closer and stopped. For the first time in his life, he wasn't going to go get what he wanted. Rima's tears were what stopped him. He sighed and looked at the sky. For once, he didn't want to be greedy or such, he knew that Rima needed time. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt or rush her, even if it meant losing time with her.

"I'll just come back later then," Nagihiko said, hands in pocket and heading towards Rima's dorm.

However, even when making sacrifices to benefit others, he was still smiling in the end.

_~Love at Seventeen~_

Fuyuki released his grip on her and wiped her tears away. She looked up at him and he smiled down at her. A blush formed upon his face but he was trying his best to remain calm and not show her that he was nervous.

"Are you okay now, Mashiro-san?" Fuyuki asked.

"In a way, yes." Rima said.

"That's good then." Fuyuki said.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to go back to my dorm now. I need some time alone." Rima said.

"That's okay with me." Fuyuki smiled.

Rima and Fuyuki stared at each other for a moment and finally, Rima stepped back. She was sort of happy that she was able to release all of that pain that was building up again. Fuyuki, on the other hand, was still shocked that Rima would let him do something like this for her.

He patted the top of her head and waved goodbye as he watched her walk away. Rima, however, was feeling different compared to before.

As she walked away, her heart was pounding on the inside. She couldn't believe she just did all of that. Never in her mind did she think she would cry in the arms of Fuyuki, let alone cry in anyone's arms at all. Inhaling, Rima finally arrived back to her dorm, only to come across another problem.

Can I not go anywhere in peace? Rima glared at Nagihiko, who was sitting by her door asleep. She noticed that he was still holding her purse from earlier and he was shivering. Slowly walking closer to him, she squatted down and tilted her head at him.

"Nagihiko?" Rima poked his cheek.

He didn't bulge at all and she poked his cheek again. Irritated, she pulled his cheeks and moved them around. Nagihiko finally opened his eyes and stared into Rima's eyes.

"Wi-ma-tan!" Nagihiko said.

Rima giggled and let his cheeks go. He rubbed his cheeks and glared over at her for a bit. She smiled and stood up in her spot.

"My cheeks still hurt from your slap earlier." Nagihiko said.

As Rima took out her keys to unlock her door, Nagihiko stood up and poked her on her arm. She kept on ignoring him but he wouldn't stop bugging her. Finally, she turned around and glared at Nagihiko.

"What's your problem, Nagihiko?" Rima said.

"I'm just curious as to why you're behaving this way." Nagihiko asked.

Rima opened her door and sighed. She turned to look at him and noticed how concerned he looked. After all, he was almost like a childhood friend of hers. Rolling her eyes, she left the door open and walked into her dorm. Meanwhile, Nagihiko took this as a sign to come in, so he properly walked in and said,"Sorry for disturbing."

"Rima-chan?" Nagihiko asked.

"I just want some quiet time, okay?" Rima said.

She laid down on her couch and Nagihiko nodded silently. He walked over towards Rima and sat down on the floor by the foot of the couch. Turning slightly, he looked into her eyes and she looked into his.

"We used to do this a lot back in middle school." Nagihiko whispered.

"Yeah, until you left… again." Rima said.

Nagihiko sweatdropped and smiled. He averted his gaze to the ceiling and closed his eyes. Rima turned to lay on her stomach as she looked at her nails. All that was running through her mind was how peaceful this setting was.

"Rima-chan, won't you tell me?" Nagihiko interrupted her thoughts.

"No," Rima threw a pillow at him.

"As long as Rima-chan is smiling, then I'm okay." Nagihiko smiled.

His eyes remained closed and she turned to look at him. She closed her eyes for a moment and started to think more about the situation on hand. The feeling of nostalgia filled her and she wondered why he was doing all of this for her. Was it because she was special? She shook her head at the thought and knew that he'd probably do this for any girl.

"Nagihiko, why me?" Rima mumbled.

She sat up in her spot and he opened his eyes. Turning around and resting his arms on the surface of the couch, he looked at her.

"What do you mean, Rima-chan?" he asked.

"Why did you choose me to do all of this with?" Rima asked.

"It's simple, really. To teach you the ways of love." Nagihiko said.

"But don't you have someone that you love?" Rima asked.

"Of course, I do." Nagihiko smiled.

"Oh," Rima said, looking away.

She sighed and was sort of relieved on the inside. However, she knew one thing on the inside that was true. It was something that she wasn't sure how to react to at all.

_He's not in love with me…_

_~Love at Seventeen~_

"He seems to be here."

A girl with short brown hair and a snow beanie on, walked onto campus and grinned up to the sky. Ever since that moment he showed her that dancing was important and opened up her eyes to more possibilities, she held this feeling in her heart for him.

"_I'll teach you what dancing really is..."_ she said his words.

"I really hope he's doing okay." she said sincerely as she continued to walk onto the campus with a smile.

* * *

**a/n: I pull another Ri move and give you this. Hopefully you all have your Shugo Chara knowledge because this girl was in an episode, so she's not an OC. Plus they never really said her name in the episode so I think I'll have to come up with one for her. I think you can feel the drama sparking but not fully blooming yet. I hope to make you cry, cringe, yell, and smile while reading this story.**

_Preview:_

_"Who are you and why are your hands on his?" Rima came into the room and crossed her arms at the girl._

_"Shouldn't I be asking you that though?" The girl turned towards Rima and tilted her head._

_"No," Rima bluntly said._

_"Although you do look familiar, after all. Do you know who Hinamori Amu is?" she asked._

_Rima stepped forward and stared at the girl. Fully scanning her, she stopped at her hair and sighed._

_"Why should I tell you that?" Rima said._

_"So you do know her then," the girl said._

_Nagihiko looked back and forth from each girl as he noticed the stare down they were having. He sweatdropped to himself and started to wonder a lot of things, but only stood out the most._

_"What did I get myself into?"_


	8. Lesson 8: Truth Part 1

_Lesson 83: Truth_

_It's okay to experience different emotions.  
_

_Don't be afraid to be yourself and let loose.  
_

_After all, you are the controller of your emotions in love and reality._

* * *

_~Love at Seventeen~_

It was a few days into the winter vacation and everyone was in their own world. Rima was walking down the street to Nagihiko's place. As she entered into the building and found his room, she noticed that his door was open. Entering inside, she found Nagihiko standing in the center of the room. He wasn't alone._ Why is he holding hands with another girl_? Rima stood behind the door and spied on the pair as the girl kept on speaking. All Rima could figure out from the conversation was that the girl liked Nagihiko's smile and that she's come back for him.

"…Never trust a liar." Rima glared.

She stepped out from her spot and approached the pair.

"Who are you and why are your hands on his?" Rima came into the room and crossed her arms at the girl.

Rima looked over at Nagihiko as he turned around, a shocked look upon his face. Giving him a scowling look, she tilted her nose into the air and he sweatdropped. A girl with brown hair and matching eyes, along with a snow beanie on top of her head, widened her eyes at the unsuspected visitor. Rima, on the other hand, was quite disturbed by the girl's presence.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that though?" The girl tilted her head.

"No," Rima bluntly said.

"Rima-chan…" Nagihiko mumbled, but Rima silenced him.

"Although, you do look familiar, after all. Do you know who Hinamori Amu is?" she asked.

Rima stepped forward and stared at the girl. Fully scanning her like she did with Nagihiko, she stopped at her hair and sighed. She tapped the sides of her arms and had a staredown with the girl.

"Why should I tell you that?" Rima said.

"So you do know her then," the girl said.

Nagihiko looked back and forth from each girl as he noticed the stare down they were having. He sweatdropped to himself and started to wonder a lot of things, but only one stood out the most.

_What did I get myself into?_

Nagihiko placed his hands upon Rima's shoulders and she froze. His fingers Meanwhile, he stared up at the girl and smiled.

"Don't mind Mashiro Rima-san, she's a very uncaring person." Nagihiko winked down at Rima.

"It's nice to meet you, Rima-chan." said the girl.

"It's Mashiro-san to you." Rima said.

"My name is Takahashi Setsuko but you can call me Ko-chan." Ko smiled as she stuck her hand out, but Rima rejected the offer.

Nagihiko rubbed Rima's shoulders and they tensed underneath his delicate touch. Rima pouted and tried to knock off his hands but they only tightened more. She stared back up at him and he returned the glance. His lips curved upwards as usual and she couldn't help but pout. Ko watched the two and smiled at them.

"Well, Mashiro-san, Nagihiko-kun, I should leave and get my stuff settled in at the dormitory." Ko said as she headed for the door.

Rima glanced back and said,"Wait, dormitory?"

"Yes, I'm a new student here and will begin my studies when the term starts." Ko tilted her head and smiled.

"We'll be here for you, Ko-chan." Nagihiko smiled as he squeezed Rima's shoulders to stop her from making any moves.

Ko bowed and excused herself out of the room. The moment that she shut the door, Rima went haywire. She jerked herself away from Nagihiko and turned around to face him. He rested his hands on his hips and stared at her.

"Ko-chan? **_Ko-chan_**? Seriously, you two just met and now you're on a first name basis with each other. What a flirt." Rima twirled her curls.

"Ah, is Rima-chan jealous?" Nagihiko asked curiously.

"No, I'm not jealous of a liar or a new girl. Who is she anyways?" Rima crossed her arms.

Nagihiko walked back over to Rima and rested his hands on her shoulders again. He continued to massage them and she closed her eyes for a bit. Everything was happening too quickly and suddenly this girl pops up out of nowhere. Rima wasn't really attracted to the idea of some random girl disturbing her peace here. Opening her eyes back up, she saw Nagihiko's gentle gaze upon her.

"Remember the World Music Festival? She was that x-egg victim who had a desire for dancing." Nagihiko said.

"Oh, so that's her…" Rima whispered.

He finally let go of her shoulders and stared into her eyes. She didn't dare blush at all. Rima glared at him and he tapped her nose with a smile. Leaning in, he stared into her eyes deeper and finally spoke.

"Rima-chan, you're so obvious." Nagihiko said.

_~Love at Seventeen~_

Rima walked back to her dormitory and as she opened up the door, boxes were everywhere. Rima stared at her living room for a second before taking an umbrella into her hands. _Who the heck is in my house? _She tiptoed down the hallway to see one of her empty rooms opened up. As she approached the room, she noticed someone that she didn't want to see at all; someone who was on the next ride to hell.

"Ko-chan, what are you doing here?" Rima pointed the umbrella at her.

Ko was on her knees as she was emptying out the boxes. She looked up at Rima and smiled while wiping away excess sweat.

"I live here now. I didn't know who my roommate would be, but I'm glad it's you, Mashiro-san." Ko said.

Rima sighed and looked irritated_. I don't want her here or anybody at all. This dorm is mine._ Rima stared at the room that was covered in dance posters, snowboards, and a collection of beanies. A bed was placed in the middle with blue sheets covering it. Creepily, all of this reminded Rima of Nagihiko. She looked back at Ko, who continued to unpack her stuff.

"This dorm is mine, that is how I requested it to be." Rima said.

"I'm sorry, Mashiro-san. That's just how it was because there were no more rooms available. This was the only one left." Ko stood up.

"Fine, just don't touch my stuff. If you do, you'll suffer the consequences." Rima glared before exiting out of the room.

Rima threw down the umbrella into the living room and decided to head back out again. She wasn't in the mood to deal with this girl at all. It seemed as if Ko was honing in on her territory. Of course, she didn't mean Nagihiko because she didn't claim him. Hands in her pockets, she walked into the centre of the town and explored around. A group of dancers stopped in the middle of the road and were performing for a crowd. Stopping, Rima stood in her spot and watched the performance. A sudden strike of feelings bloomed inside of her and she felt so dead compared to the dancers. She started to wonder about where her life was heading and why she was at a performing arts school in France. To say the least, she was wondering about her love life too.

"Why don't they understand? I'm not the kind to fall in love so easily." Rima whispered, before turning on her heel and walking away.

"Stupid bet, stupid Nagihiko, stupid Kirishima, and stupid Takahashi-san." Rima grumbled underneath her breath.

Rima walked into a coffee shop and placed an order for a double chocolate mocha twist with a side of whip cream and a piece of strawberry cheesecake. Walking back outside, she closed her eyes and let the chilling wind blow against her cheeks. She took out her phone and checked for any messages.

"Nothing," Rima mumbled.

She sat down and took a fresh breath of air. That very moment was the most relaxation she ever had in a while. Taking a sip of her drink, she stared at the waters ahead of her. Ducks were flying in the air and traffic was heavy as usual. The sky lit up while Rima inserted her earbuds and began to listen to instrumental music. Throughout the years, she was accustomed to listening to this type of music. It calmed her down through the divorce and other various situations. To her, the music blocked out the sounds of reality and escaped her into a sweet fantasy. The edge of the cup was rested on the tip of her lips while she blinked. Her eyes faced downwards towards the cheesecake and another memory struck her.

She remembered eating cheesecake with Nagihiko when they both ran into each other in France. Frankly, she wished that times like these were like that once again. With so many familiar faces yet strange connections coming back, she felt overwhelmed on the inside, even though she knew she couldn't stop the order of things.

Setting down her cup, she opened up her cheesecake and took off the strawberry first. Munching on it lightly, she felt a sort of remorse feeling running through her system. Her heart ached with the pain of loneliness and at that moment, she never had felt more alone than now.

_~Love at Seventeen~_

Rima walked back into her dormitory about two hours later. She never finished eating the cheesecake and her cup was still halfway filled. Taking off her jacket, she dropped herself on her couch and sighed in a boring tone.

"Could this day get any worse?" Rima asked out loud.

And yet it did.

A noise crashed into Rima's ears and she jerked up. Knowing her items, she had many priceless items that her mother had given to her because it was passed down from generation to generation in the Mashiro family. Slamming open the door, she widened her eyes.

Ko was on the ground and right next to her was Rima's mother's music box, shattered to pieces. For a split second, Rima stopped breathing while Ko stood up and turned towards her.

"I'm so sorry, Mashiro-san! I didn't mean to! I was only trying to practice my dancing and I guess my leg hit the wrong area of the room." Ko bowed.

Rima's knees wobbled as she ignored Ko's words and walked over to the pieces of the broken reminiscence. Her knees hit the ground and she took one shard into her hand. It lost its glimmer and now it looked dull in the light. Clutching it into her hand, the shard started to cut and seep into her palm.

"Mashiro-san, I—" Rima interrupted Ko with a glare.

"Just go away…" Rima mumbled.

"I didn't mean to—" Ko pleaded.

"Go to hell. Go away._ Haven't you done enough already_?" Rima quietly said.

Ko noticed the tears forming in Rima's eyes and she ran out of the room rather quickly. A sudden burst of tears cascaded down Rima's face. She turned back to the shards and held them all in her hands. In her eyes, each shard represented a moment of Rima's life where she broke. From the kidnapping, transferring schools, her parents' fights, the reality of her slaves, the divorce, Kusukusu returning to her egg, Nagihiko, Kirishima, and now Ko; Rima felt so broken and lifeless.

"_Rima, tears don't suit you…_" said an inner voice.

Rima knew this voice. Although it was faint and very distinct, it often visited her in her time of need. She closed her eyes and let the blood spill as she clutched on more. It was her only hope for comfort.

"Kusukusu… why did you have to leave me?" Rima cried.

"_Smile for me, please… Ri-ma!_" said the voice once again.

A simple smile couldn't fix the emotions that were breaking in the inside of her heart.

_~Love at Seventeen~_

Meanwhile, Nagihiko was reading a newspaper as he sat outside of his dorm. The sky was already beginning to dim again and soon it would be time for him to go back inside. An echo of footsteps interrupted his reading and he looked up to see Ko running in his direction. He noticed that tears were streaming down her swollen, red face. Rima-chan must have done something again.

He stood up in his spot and was jerked back when Ko jumped into his arms. She tightened her grip on him and was shaking very badly. He sweatdropped.

"Um, Ko-chan?" Nagihiko managed to ask.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it! I didn't..." Ko yelled.

Nagihiko patted her back awkwardly and she pulled back suddenly. In her eyes, he was so magnificent and kindhearted, the opposite of Rima. Ko looked down and clutched her fingers.

"What happened, Ko-chan?" Nagihiko asked her gently.

Ko wiped away the rest of her tears and sat next to him on the brick wall.

"I was trying to find a place to practice my dancing but with Mashiro-san's place, everything has a spot so it's hard to find somewhere to flex. I went into different rooms because I thought she would eventually be okay with it until I found the other room. It had items in it but I tried my best not to be near them. I accidentally swung my foot against this music box and it shattered. Then, Mashiro-san came home and saw it." Ko explained.

Nagihiko sighed and tried his best to smile. He didn't know that Rima was holding her mother's keepsakes in her dorm. In his mind, he knew the feeling that Rima and Ko were both feeling at that moment. It was accident but he wasn't sure how Rima would handle it.

"Let's go find her, okay? I'm sure she will understand if I talk to her." Nagihiko suggested.

He stood up in his spot and extended out a hand towards Ko. Ko blushed and gently placed her hand on his. The pair walked up towards Rima's dorm. Yet they weren't prepared for the demonic, emotional mess that was going to occur.

_~Love at Seventeen~_

Rima's world was turned upside down as the skies darkened. Time was running out as the tables were turning. She was always compared to an angel but her feathers were losing their glow. An unexplainable breakthrough erupted inside of her and she set down the shards on the ground. A faint noise interrupted her moment and she turned her head towards the source of it. The door cracked open and she saw the two silhouettes holding hands.

"Rima-chan?" said Nagihiko.

She stayed still as she stared at him, directly into his eyes. He dropped Ko's hand quickly and took a step forward. Nagihiko noticed the tiny blood spots on the ground and the shards shattered to pieces on the ground. Never before had he seen Rima this hurt. In fact, he wanted to just shut Ko out and embrace Rima into his arms forever. But being the kind of person he was, he had to control himself.

"...Why did you bring her here?" Rima said, standing up in her spot.

"Rima-chan, I think you misunderstood the situation. Ko-chan was only trying to practice, she didn't mean to destroy your keepsake." Nagihiko explained.

Rima rolled her eyes and twisted a curl.

"Liars always believe other liars." Rima cocked a smile.

Ko stepped forward and placed her hand on her heart. She wasn't trying to hurt Rima at all, but this whole situation was going to destroy a chance at friendship. Staring at Rima, who turned to look at her with an icy look, Ko poured out all of her feelings.

"Mashiro-san! Please stop this nonsense! I didn't mean to do it! I wish things didn't turn out like this because I really wanted to be friends with you... I really do." Ko confessed.

Taking out her phone, Rima snapped a photo of Ko's face. Ko quirked an eyebrow and Rima blankly stared at her. Nagihiko, on the other hand, was suddenly confused by Rima's actions.

"The face of an idiot deserves to be snapped." Rima said.

"Rima-chan! That's enough." Nagihiko cut in.

She turned towards Nagihiko and stared at him. She noticed that his eyes were filled with solitude and sadness. For a second or two, Nagihiko saw a flicker in her eyes but Rima quickly turned away. Snorting, she chuckled a bit and hummed a tune.

"You're with the enemy, Nagihiko. And to think I actually started to trust you." Rima said.

Before Nagihiko could say a word, Rima ran out of the room and covered her eyes. She wasn't completely sure where she was going, but she wanted to be anywhere but here. All of these emotions were about to explode and yet she wasn't happy with what she just did. At the same time though, she had every right to be angry and confused because that's how Mashiro Rima's emotions worked.

_-to be continued-_

* * *

**a/n: Rima, Rima, Rima… you are obviously getting yourself into a deep situation. And there will be one more character coming in very soon~**

**Another preview:**

_"I can't believe you made us go through this, Rima-chan." Nagihiko glanced at her._

_"It's not my fault you're so hard, Nagihiko." Rima slightly blushed._

_"But you just had to push in so much." Nagihiko said._

_"Because you wouldn't help me and instead sided with the enemy!" Rima glared._


	9. Lesson 9: Truth Part 2

_Lesson 84: Truth (cont.)_

_Sometimes the truth can have its own twists  
_

_You can actually find out more than you need to_

_But if someone truly loves you then they will turn the situation around_

_And the outcome could be unexpected_

* * *

All night, Rima heard pounding on her door but she never bothered to get up to answer it. She knew exactly who it was and she didn't want to associate with Ko at the moment. Her phone was also ringing off the hook, followed by text messages from Nagihiko. All she could do was just curl up more in her lavender blanket and block out the noises.

A sudden noise cracked and Rima slowly sat up while looking over at her balcony door. As absurd he could be at times, Rima knew this was the most idiotic thing Nagihiko had ever done. She watched as he gracefully leaped in and tried to pry open the door.

_Why is he trying so hard? It's not even for my sake at all…_ Rima got up and stood in front of the balcony door and stared at him. He returned the favor and even through the glass, his stare was strong. Nagihiko touched the surface of the glass slowly and gently but solemnly smiled at her. She decided to experiment and placed her tiny hand on top of the glass.

"Rima-chan," Rima watched as he mouthed her name.

She closed her eyes and took a simple breath of air before releasing her hand. Afterwards, she smiled at him before shutting the curtains. Nagihiko sweatdropped at her actions but continued to try to get into her dorm.

"Idiots," Rima mumbled underneath her breath.

She walked down her corridor and opened up the extra room, where the fragments of her once memento laid. Rima couldn't bear to clean up the mess, let alone look at it. After she ran out of the room earlier, away from Nagihiko and Ko, she had come running back because this was her dorm and she wasn't going to be chased out of it. The two had reluctantly left the place to give Rima some alone time, thinking that they could come back later to apologize but she never let them in after that.

"Rima-chan," said Nagihiko.

Rima turned around and wasn't surprised that Nagihiko found a way to get inside. He had done it numerous times before, after all. She gripped the sides of her blanket that covered her like a veil and angrily stared at him.

"What do you want? Are you here to tell me a message from the enemy?" Rima asked.

"She's not the enemy, Rima-chan! Ko-chan never meant to hurt your mother's memento at all." Nagihiko explained.

There he went again, siding with the enemy even if he denied it. He just didn't get what she was feeling at that very moment. The turmoil of emotions was spiraling into a downward defeat in her heart and he didn't see that. Rima walked pass him and stopped for a moment.

"I hate you," Rima whispered.

Everything stopped at that moment when Nagihiko turned around to see a tear slide down Rima's cheek. He wanted to just drop everything and comfort her at that moment. At the same time though, Ko was his friend and the way Rima was acting was immature. But what if he was doing something? He knew that Rima didn't act like this until Ko moved into the dorm. Better yet, she was serious.

"I don't hate you," Nagihiko sternly said.

He turned completely around and watched as Rima stared at him. Her honey orbs were blank with no emotion showing at all. The state that she was in was killing him on the inside and so, he stepped forward and took her in by the shoulders.

"I'm not kidding," Rima mumbled.

"Neither am I," Nagihiko whispered.

"Then why are you siding with her? You think your charm will work on me. It won't work. Nothing is going to change the fact that she broke a part of my mother in my heart." Rima said.

Nagihiko harshly took Rima into his embrace and encircled his arms around her back. He felt her head resting on the corner of his shoulder and he had enough of all of this. This wasn't Rima at all.

"I'm sorry," Nagihiko said.

Meanwhile, Rima gripped onto his shirt and punched him multiple times to let go but he only held on tighter. The tears… they were beginning to spill out again as Nagihiko whispered soothing words into her ear for comfort.

"You don't understand…" Rima whispered.

She suddenly pushed him against the wall and stared into his eyes once more. Nagihiko, taken aback from her actions, widened his eyes at what she was doing.

"I only misunderstood." Nagihiko said.

"But you weren't the one to lose anything in this situation. How would you know what it's like to lose something so valuable that reminded you of your parents? …Or are you just lying like you did before?" Rima asked.

The wrong words were said. The rain came down harsher than before and the lights went out after a shock of thunder hit the powerlines outside. Rima squeaked a little but was still angry at Nagihiko. However, she noticed a change in him and how his eyes held anger in them.

"I do understand perfectly, Rima-chan. I always keep my father's keepsake with me ever since he died when I was thirteen. You, of all people, should know that." Nagihiko angrily said.

_Remember…_

_The skys were gray and cold but the air was as sad as it could be. Rima was only thirteen at time but so many changes were surrounding her. It was a year after her mother died in the car crash and now she was standing here at another funeral. Her black dress shifted with the wind as she watched Nagihiko from a distance._

_The look upon his face was one she had never seen before. He didn't look sad or depressed like the others did. His face held the signs of bitterness and disappointment, almost as if he were angry that his father died so suddenly. His mother was at his side and she was keeping a stoic face, even though everyone could see the sadness that filled her eyes. _

_She turned her gaze to everyone else like Amu and Kukai, who were really close friends with Nagihiko and his family. The looks upon their faces were unbelievable, as if they couldn't believe that the funny crossdresser that they looked up to was dead._

_It was after the ceremony and everyone was staring at his grave. _

"_Here lies a wonderful father and mentor, Fujisaki Hiro. 19xx – 20xx"_

"_He'll always be a hero to me…" Rima said._

Rima stared up at Nagihiko as he slid against the wall, taking her with him. He was now sitting against the wall with his knees up and she was in between him. Rima had forgotten the most important thing about Nagihiko. He could relate to her situation in so many ways.

The look upon his face was painful and although he tried to smile, he couldn't. His father was one of his weaknesses that anyone could pull out of him. The thought of his father not being here pained him because he felt so lonely and mad that he abandoned his mother through death. At the same time though, Nagihiko wanted some of his childhood to be normal besides the crossdressing and traditional dancing. It never seemed to go his way at all.

Rima stared at him and thought about what she had done to bring out this much pain from Nagihiko. He was still drenched from the rain outside and she could see his heart shattering right in front of her. Everything was flashing right before her eyes. All this time, she remembered how she first hated Nagihiko and how he tried to take her best friend away from her supposedly. Then there was the fight with Easter and coming to an understanding that he was the former queen and Amu's best friend, Nadeshiko. Finally, there was the moment when she tried to help him spill his secret to Amu and ended up patting him on the head for comfort. Rima had grown to know him more through her early teens and she learned more about him when they would all hang out with him at his house after he came back from school in Europe. All of that led up to this moment where she met him again in France and now all of these obstacles were getting in her way. She wasn't sure why but somehow fate said that Nagihiko needed to be in her life for a reason. As she leaned closer to him, there was a sudden impulse from her and not knowing what she was doing, she softly kissed him on the lips.

This kind of kiss wasn't the one where she knew she was in love with him. In fact, she had no idea of what to feel at that moment. All she knew was that she wanted to release the pain from him somehow; almost as if she had to kiss away the pain with bliss. Nagihiko, on the other hand, his feelings were transforming once again. He closed his eyes and softly returned the kiss's warm embrace and everything was calm at that moment. He raised his hand to touch her cheek and she carefully placed her hand on top of that hand. Their lips moved slowly in synchronizing movements but it was on the right rhythm like a ballroom dance before midnight.

Why?

Why was there a kiss at such an early stage?

They had known each other for so long but sometimes kisses weren't meant for love. Even if Rima didn't know about Nagihiko's feelings for her truly, Nagihiko still felt the reassurance and comfort from her lips.

They released slowly and Rima stared at him as did he. The banging of the door interrupted their thoughts and Nagihiko got up fast. He left Rima sitting on the ground with a new expression on her face. She was confused and touching her lips. All of her feelings were in a whirlwind when Nagihiko walked back in with Ko behind him.

"Rima-chan, I think someone is here to owe you an apology." Nagihiko said.

Ko trembled slightly in her legs as Rima got up and stood without saying a word. However, she stepped forward to Rima and cleared her throat. Rima was still shaken by the thought that her mother's memento was now broken and never to come back again.

"I… I'm not worthy of even being here after what I did, so I understand if you want to kick me out. I just wanted to say sorry though. I'm sorry for breaking your precious memento that clearly meant a lot to you. I'm also sorry for not coming to you first and getting your permission to use the room. I waited out in the rain all this time just so I could apologize to you. I could only hope you'd forgive me on some level." Ko explained.

Rima stared at Ko and the fragile state that she was currently in. She wasn't going to forgive her so easily because in the end, something important was lost. But on the inside, Rima was a good person, thanks to how much Amu had affected her.

"Stop shaking like a fool and go to your room. You might catch a cold, hmph." Rima said, crossing her arms.

Nagihiko chuckled at Rima's reply and Ko took that as a good answer. She gleamed with happiness and attacked Rima with a hug, in which Rima tried to pry her off with a disgusted look on her face. Nagihiko rolled his eyes at Rima and the way she was trying to be stubborn in this situation. It was actually cute but he felt happy that they were somewhat on good terms though.

Meanwhile, in his heart, the rhythmic beat was pounding fast because of the kiss that came from Mashiro Rima's lips.

_~Love at Seventeen~_

The next day arrived and Rima woke up to the smell of pancakes early in the morning. She flipped to her side and saw that it was only seven. The smell was irritating and tempting her to get out of bed but she felt so lazy at the same time. Last night's activities had worn her out on all ends but she was really glad that it was still winter vacation.

"Rima-chan, breakfast!" yelled Nagihiko.

That's when Rima sat up abruptly in her spot and glared at the voice. He did it again. Nagihiko had trespassed into her dorm without her permission and using her kitchen again. She got out of her bed and opened up the door to peek. Seeing Nagihiko smiling, Rima's heart clenched and reminded her of the kiss that occurred last night.

She slammed open the door and came down the hallway to enter into the kitchen. Nagihiko noticed her come in and patted her head. _Isn't that my job?_ Rima slightly blushed and walked past him to make a nice cup of tea. Feeling a little intimidated by him, she peeked over her shoulder and watched him flip the remaining pancakes into the air with style.

"Where's Ko?" Rima asked, brewing the tea.

"She's going to be gone most of the day due to a tournament that she had to attend for dancing. But she told me to say hello to you." Nagihiko explained.

"Oh," Rima mumbled.

As soon as she was done brewing the tea, Rima reached for a cu

"Rima-chan, here you go." Nagihiko smiled.

The moment Rima sat down at the counter, she stared at the plate of pancakes that were in front of her. It was designed with a cute funny face with a strawberry as the nose, chocolate chips forming the mouth, and whip cream as the eyes. The design was funny enough to make her giggle and Nagihiko looked up from his spot.

"Oh, you noticed my beautiful masterpiece." Nagihiko said, flipping more pancakes into the air.

"It looks weird, actually." Rima poked it.

"What? But I tried my best, Rima-chan." Nagihiko pouted.

Rima leaned against the counter and pulled his cheeks together. He ended up dropping the pan of pancakes in the process and Rima burst out in giggles. She sat back down in her spot and started to eat pieces of pancakes. When Nagihiko popped up beside her, he waited for her reaction until she was done eating.

"It's okay," Rima said, turning to her other side and munching on it quietly.

Nagihiko sweatdropped and smiled before he stole the strawberry from her pancake. Rima noticed and turned back around in her spot to retrieve the fruit from him. He only held it higher and grinned.

"First my cheesecake, now my pancakes. What do you have against me, Fujisaki?" Rima asked, reaching for the strawberry in the process.

"Nothing, but you have something I want, Mashiro." Nagihiko winked.

He loved secretly flirting with her and seeing the way she had different reactions each time. Nagihiko wasn't sure if she got the idea but he only loved doing this around her. Meanwhile, Rima was still trying to get her strawberry back without even knowing what his true motives really were. She was standing in her spot on the stool and it started to shake underneath her. Nagihiko caught her in his arms and hugged her while her feet dangled from the ground.

"Let go of me!" Rima squirmed.

That same feeling in her heart was forming again and she wanted it to disappear. She wasn't understanding why her heart acted up all of the time around Nagihiko. Yet…

Rima ended up kicking Nagihiko where the sun doesn't shine and rather harshly. He dropped her and winced in pain. Rima bit her lip at the amount of pain he was letting out but she won back her strawberry.

"I can't believe you made us go through this, Rima-chan." Nagihiko glanced at her.

"It's not my fault you're so hard, Nagihiko." Rima slightly blushed.

"But you just had to push in so much." Nagihiko said.

"Because you wouldn't help me!" Rima glared.

"So you just had to kick me there!" Nagihiko glared back in pain.

"You left me dangling in your arms." Rima said, crossing her arms.

Rima sighed and took Nagihiko by the hand to help him lay down on the couch. While he laid on the couch in pain, she brought her plate of pancakes with her and cup of tea. She sat on the couch as well and laid a pillow on her lap so that Nagihiko could rest his head there. It was something he and her did in their early teens when they would spend time at his house with their other friends. They all did this with each other so it was normal. That shows how close the whole group was with each other.

"We can't even go anywhere since it's too cold out." Rima said.

Nagihiko's pain was dying down little by little. Rima poked his cheek and he opened to protest but she dropped a piece of pancake in his mouth to shut him up. Everything was calm and the atmosphere was closed in. She pondered about last night and argued with herself on whether she should bring it up as a subject. After all, she was the one who initiated the kiss in the first place.

"Rima-chan, can I say something to you?" Nagihiko mumbled tiredly.

She took another bite of her pancake and nodded. _Maybe it's about last night…_

"Thank you," Nagihiko smiled, closing his eyes.

Rima widened her eyes for a moment and watched him fall asleep. She set down her plate and took a single strand of his indigo hair into her hand. Curling it, she knew exactly what he was thanking her for. As she ran her hand through the rest of his hair, she smiled at him.

"_You're welcome," she whispered._

"It's still throbbing, Rima-chan." Nagihiko softly whined.

"Shut up, Nagihiko." Rima said.

_~Love at Seventeen~_

Kirishima was standing outside in the park and talking with Ko. They were discussing different matters especially about last night. The look on his face was not pleasing at all. Ko simply smiled at him and winked.

"Mashiro-san…" he said.

The real trouble was already beginning to brew.

_-to be continued-_

* * *

**a/n:** Someone decided it would be funny to go and report my story. I lost a week of privileges on this site so I couldn't publish anything at all. I don't care if we can disagree on matters but really, when someone blocks me from writing then you've crossed the line. I love writing a whole lot. Jeez… sorry. Anyway, so I hope this makes up for the lack of Rimahiko moments in the last couple of chapters. I didn't stick fluffy moments in just to get reviews. I actually had a reason why these moments occurred. I think you'll see how much I reveal more of Rima and Nagihiko's past with his father's death, hanging out as teens, and such. Plus these moments are important for the last chapter of this story, which will be chapter 30.

And le gasp, they kissed. Even though Rima isn't in love, she felt the need to comfort him somehow. I guess it might be hard to understand on some levels though. Oh, the real, heartjerking drama starts next chapter. What a coincidence, that's chapter 10~.

I hope you liked it. Reviews will make my heart whole again.


	10. Lesson 10: Mistakes

_Lesson 87: Mistakes_

_If you're in love you can be blinded_

_Don't let anyone interfere with your feelings_

_Or else you can make a mistake that you regret in the end_

* * *

~_Love at Seventeen~_

The darkness that once consumed his eyes started to haze when he stared up into the eyes of his dream girl. Nagihiko gently smiled and reached up his hands to hug the girl in bliss. With such radiance and beauty emitting from her presence, he wanted to engulf her into his embrace. As his hands continued to reach, he was happy to be here with her. However, Rima slapped him.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Rima glared.

"R-Rima-chan?" Nagihiko jerked up.

He looked around to see that he was in Rima's living room at the moment. He gulped and looked outside to see that there was still light out. Rubbing back his bangs, he sat back in his spot on the couch and sighed. If only he had a few more seconds, then maybe she would have been in his embrace. Nagihiko glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and watched as she giggled at the comedy show that was currently on.

Things certainly didn't change for Rima, especially her love for comedy. This was one of the qualities that Nagihiko loved most about her because even if she didn't know it, she was showing him a piece of her true self, and that was completely amazing for Nagihiko.

As soon as the show ended, the atmosphere quickly became silent. Nagihiko had his hands folded and he was twisting his fingers around while humming a tune to himself, and Rima was looking at her nails in boredom. For an odd reason, Nagihiko was suddenly nervous to be around Rima, but only if the mood seemed quiet because he felt, somewhat, in a way, slightly, vulnerable.

After all, it _was _Rima he was talking about.

"Food," Rima mumbled.

"What?" Nagihiko asked, turning his head to look at her.

"I want food. Cook." Rima demanded.

Nagihiko sweatdropped and stared at her for another moment before sitting back comfortably in his spot. Rima blinked and looked at him in distress.

"Nagihiko," Rima said.

"Rima-chan," Nagihiko replied back.

"Fooood." Rima said, leaning toward his face with a pout on hers.

"You never said the magic wooord." Nagihiko smiled, tapping her nose in response.

"Do I really have to say that? I thought you'd do anything a girl asks because that's your nature. Unless... unless Amu is just a special case." Rima started to "tear" up.

"Still not working, amateur." Nagihiko laughed.

"Jeez, you're such a boring person." Rima huffed, sitting back in her spot with an annoyed look.

"And you're such a horrible actress. I guess we all have our flaws, hm, Rima-chan?" Nagihiko winked.

"Whatever," Rima mumbled.

She reached over for the remote and draped over Nagihiko's lap to get the blanket. Nagihiko then lifted her up, encircling his arm around her waist so that she was dangling in a u-shape form. He then got up from his spot and headed over toward the kitchen. Rima was protesting a lot but there was no use in fighting to break free; his grip held her strong.

"You said you wanted food." Nagihiko said, setting her down.

"Yeah, but you didn't have to carry me like that." Rima retorted.

"Well, what do you want to eat?" Nagihiko asked.

"I want to go out and eat. Of course, you're paying." Rima said, walking gracefully out of the kitchen to go and get her jacket on.

"Haha, sure, Rima-chan." Nagihiko smiled.

_~Love at Seventeen~_

As the pair walked to the local cafe in downtown, they were suddenly stopped along the way by Ko and Fuyuki. Rima covered her cheeks with her hands as the cold, brewing wind blew upon her face. She was not pleased with the other two stopping them out of nowhere. However, it peeked her interest on why those two were standing side by side.

"What are you two doing, _together?_" Rima asked.

Ko smiled and dragged Fuyuki along with her to the pair. Nagihiko waved to the guy, who only smiled in return. Rima and Ko stood next to each other having a small chat.

"I met him at the park! He said he knew you so I thought it'd be nice to become buddies with him." Ko smiled, moving up and down on her toes.

"Not only are you strange, but you become friends with strangers too. That's _not_ strange at all." Rima sarcastically said.

"Mashiro-san, you're so funny!" Ko laughed.

"Then I'm doing it right." Rima said in praise.

"Mhm!" Ko agreed.

"I hate to burst your bubble, but Nagihiko and I need to go eat now." Rima said, walking over to Nagihiko.

"Oh really? Then how about we all go together? I'm sure Kirishima wouldn't mind paying after all." Ko said, looking over at Fuyuki, who stiffened at her words. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled nervously.

"A-Ah, if Fujisaki-kun is okay with it, then sure, why not?" Fuyuki said cautiously while looking over at Nagihiko.

"I don't see why a few extra guests can't hurt." Nagihiko smiled.

Rima stared over at Ko, who grinned happily at Nagihiko's words. Rima was speculating that Ko might have held an interest for Nagihiko. She grabbed onto Nagihiko's jacket sleeve and stared intensely from behind him. Nagihiko sweatdropped at her actions and patted her head.

"Fine," Rima said, looking away.

The group agreed and finally headed off a couple of blocks to the restaurant; the same restaurant where Nagihiko and Rima ate at it when they first encountered each other in France. As soon as they approached the restaurant, Nagihiko took the opportunity to hold the door open for everyone. He smiled and finally went inside himself. Rima was talking with the waitress, who placed them over by the open window in the corner. The waitress set down the menus and Rima nodded in thanks.

"I'm gonna go to the restroom first." Rima said.

"Oh wait, what do you want?" Nagihiko asked, placing his hand on her shoulder before she left.

"I think you know what I want." Rima said, glancing her eyes over at the poster with cheesecake on it.

"Okay, Rima-chan." Nagihiko winked.

The moment Rima went down the hallway, Fuyuki got up from his spot and dismissed himself to go to the restroom too. Nagihiko nodded and then took a seat in front of Ko, who was frantically looking around the place.

"Are you okay, Ko-chan?" Nagihiko asked, worry in his eyes.

"Hm? Oh yeah! I'm great, chippy as ever!" Ko exclaimed, still looking around.

"You don't seem like it, though." Nagihiko said.

Before Ko could answer, the waitress came back and asked the duo what they wanted to drink in the meantime. Nagihiko ordered a small cup of green tea and a hot chocolate for Rima while Ko ordered hot chocolate and water for Fuyuki, since she didn't know what he wanted at all.

"I'm just bothered by something, I guess." Ko said, crossing her arms on the table.

"You can trust me," Nagihiko said, smiling over to her.

The waitress finally returned to the table after several minutes with their drinks. The sight of the hot chocolate in front of him disturbed Nagihiko to no end. He was so used to seeing Rima drinking that instead of someone like Ko. Dismissing it, Nagihiko rested his head on the palm of his hand and looked over at Ko.

"Why are you so close with Mashiro-san?" Ko asked, sipping her drink and not looking at him.

Surprised at her boldness, Nagihiko sparked up his eyes and took a sip of his tea. He contemplated on whether to tell her or not but he knew that she was a good person who meant no harm.

"Don't tell her, okay? Whatever I mention stays between you and I." Nagihiko held up one finger and winked.

"Okay!" Ko grinned, her heart beating rapidly fast.

"I wrote a book on the lessons of love when I was seventeen and it became a major hit. Then Rima-chan and I recently met here at the university, and well, she doesn't believe that well in love. So I told her that I could prove her wrong." Nagihiko explained.

"So, in other words, wait... does this mean you like her?" Ko asked, tilting her head.

"It's more than that... I've been in love with her for a while now. It's more than _like, _it's _beautiful_, _amazing, _and_ heartwarming._" Nagihiko smiled, gazing down at his cup.

Ko was taken aback and watched the pure smile that was placed upon his face. She never saw someone so in love with someone before. The fact that he was talking about Rima this way also made her heart clench, as if everything was destroying in a pit of a fire. Out of all of the people in the world, why did it have be Rima? She clutched onto her cup and hated this feeling that was building up on the inside. Ko wasn't going to let her jealousy get to her, besides, those two weren't a couple and this could be her chance to take Nagihiko's breath away.

"Is that so?" Ko said.

"It is," Nagihiko concluded.

Ko glanced her eyes up and took another sip of her drink. There was no dating relationship established here so she could definitely make a move. She placed her hand on Nagihiko's and smiled.

"I think it's _**sweet**_ that you love her like that." Ko smiled sweetly.

"Thank you for understanding, Ko-chan." Nagihiko smiled in return.

Oh, she understood, but not in the way Nagihiko knew.

~_Love at Seventeen~_

She stared at herself in the mirror, a cold reflection staring back at her. The water she splashed onto her face did her no good because she was still disappointed with herself. The one thing that was bothering her to no end was sitting out there with Nagihiko. Rima knew she said she was _somewhat _on good terms with Ko, but that didn't mean she was happy-go-lucky friends with her.

"What's her motive?" Rima whispered.

Scrunching up her fists, she looked up at the mirror again and knew something wasn't right. The fact that Fuyuki was with Ko did **not** make sense to Rima. Maybe it was a coincidence but there was another chance it wasn't.

_What would Amu do in a situation like this?_ Rima thought. She imagined the rosette flailing and yelling,"I don't know!". Sweatdropping, Rima knew that was no help but most of Amu's wisdom came in the heat of the moment. Rima would have done anything to have her best friend at her side in that moment.

Fixing herself up, Rima wanted to just go and enjoy her hot chocolate and cheesecake before letting any of these problems get to her. However, as soon as she exited out, Rima was suddenly trapped in between Fuyuki and the wall near the girls' restroom. She wasn't pleased with position nor was she happy that he was keeping her separated from her food. Looking up, she waited for Fuyuki to speak but the look upon his face was written with fear and helplessness.

"I hope this is important," Rima said, resting her hands on her hips.

"You shouldn't be near him in the first place." Fuyuki sternly said.

Rima couldn't help but giggle at his words. It was typical boy behavior; he was _jealous._ She took a curl into her hand and then looked up at him again.

"You're only jealous." Rima assured.

"I'm not kidding here, Mashiro-san." Fuyuki pleaded.

"And why shouldn't I be near him?" Rima giggled.

"He's using you," Fuyuki whispered.

Rima couldn't believe the lies that were coming out of his mouth and continued to laugh. Fuyuki was angry, the feeling building up one by one and he couldn't take it anymore. The girl he loved was in front of him and she was _laughing _in front of his face. It hurt him so much whenever she talked about Nagihiko in such a peculiar way. He had enough. Leaning in further, he kissed her upon her lips and everything turned silent until Rima roughly let go.

"Why... why would you do that? And besides, haven't you heard? I'm not a rag doll you can just go and kiss." Rima screeched, slapping him on the cheek.

She pushed him and jolted into the opposite direction, covering her mouth in the process. Fuyuki slammed his head onto the wall and touched his lips. All he could hear was the sound of her boots echoing in the hall before everything was quiet once again. Meanwhile, Rima continued to run and the tears were coming out again. She _trusted _him but he turned out to be a filthy boy in love with her for the wrong reasons. As she approached the front, she stopped and noticed Ko's hand on top of Nagihiko's, sitting at _their_ spot. Scoffing to herself, she had enough of people and their ridiculous acts for attention so she exited out of the restaurant._  
_

"Rima-chan!" Nagihiko yelled, standing up in his spot in a fast motion.

He got up but Ko stopped him, holding onto his jacket sleeve. Nagihiko turned back and looked at her. She nodded to him and let go gently.

"Go after her," Ko whispered.

"Thanks, Ko-chan!" Nagihiko nodded.

He ran out of the restaurant and proceeded to go after Rima. Ko, on the other hand, watched from a distance and crossed her arms. She grinned and turned on her heel to Fuyuki.

"You can go for now, _Nagihiko. _But it's _my_ turn next." Ko smiled.

_~Love at Seventeen~_

"It's not fair," Fuyuki said to himself.

The way Ko described Nagihiko to him had killed him on the inside. The way she said that Nagihiko was in love with _his_ Rima had angered him. That day in the park...

Her words got to him. Fuyuki was confused by Ko now and what she wanted. All he had in his mind was that he loved Rima so much and he let jealousy get to him like Rima said earlier. Sliding against the wall, Fuyuki put his face in his hands.

_He made a mistake._

* * *

a/n: OH MY GOSH, _don'tkillmedon'tkillme. _I _promise_ there is a reason as to why all of this happened but you guys have to find out in the next chapter! c; Tell me what you think might happen in a review~. Is Ko one of those cliche mean girls or is she really being honest and have a different motive? Is Fuyuki really doing these actions intentionally? And what is Nagihiko hiding... again? And what happened that day at the park with Ko and Fuyuki? c;


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